Second US Soldier Recovered off Moroccan Coast

TAN-TAN, Morocco — A massive, multi-national search and rescue operation off the coast of Morocco has drawn to a somber close following the recovery and identification of a second missing American soldier.

​Joint recovery teams extracted the body of 19-year-old Specialist Mariyah Symone Collington from a treacherous coastal cave near the Cap Draa Training Area. The discovery ends a grueling, two-week search effort sparked when two U.S. Army service members disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean on May 2, 2026, during the “African Lion 26” joint military exercises.

​A Perilous Recovery Operation

​The combined recovery team—comprising U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing, Moroccan military mountaineers, and Moroccan Civil Protection—located Spc. Collington on May 12. Her body was found in a coastal cave roughly 500 meters from where she and a fellow soldier reportedly entered the water.

​Military officials noted that volatile ocean conditions, jagged coastal geography, and the extreme difficulty of accessing the cave severely complicated the final recovery steps.

​With both service members now accounted for, military operations have officially transitioned from search and rescue to repatriation and recovery. The first soldier, First Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., had been recovered earlier in the operation.

​A Formidable Joint Mission

​The scale of the rescue attempt underscored the gravity of the incident. Over 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan personnel were mobilized, systematically scouring more than 21,300 square kilometers of open sea and littoral zones.

​The operation utilized sophisticated, multi-domain capabilities, including:

• ​Unmanned aerial systems (drones) and fixed-wing aircraft for aerial reconnaissance.
• ​Subsurface dive teams and naval surface vessels.
• ​Advanced ground search units and specialized mountaineering teams.

​Search planners relied on real-time ocean drift analysis, predictive weather modeling, and daily asset adjustments to target high-probability zones along the rugged coastline.

​”I can’t say enough about the extraordinary efforts of the Moroccan government, our sister services, and Allies,” said General Christopher Donahue, Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “They were with us during a difficult time—tireless, determined, and compassionate. Their willingness to do whatever it took to bring our soldiers home speaks volumes about the strength of our partnership.”

ADVERTISEMENT

​Mourning a “Bright Light”

​Spc. Collington, a native of Tavares, Florida, was an air and missile defense crewmember. She was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command based in Ansbach, Germany. She had just been promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026—the day before the fatal incident.

​Unit commanders remembered her as an exceptional soldier who left an indelible mark on her peers.

​”Spc. Collington was an outstanding soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered,” said Captain Spencer Grider, her battery commander. “Her infectious energy brought people together through her genuine warmth and heartfelt sense of humor.”

​Lieutenant Colonel Chris Couch, the battalion commander, echoed those sentiments, calling her a “bright light” whose loss leaves a profound void across the formation.

​Repatriation and Ongoing Investigation

​Following the extraction, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported Spc. Collington’s remains via military helicopter to the Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim.

​On the evening of May 12, U.S. and Moroccan forces gathered at the Guelmim military airport for a solemn, dignified carry ceremony to honor both fallen service members. The remains of Lt. Key and Spc. Collington were subsequently loaded onto a U.S. Air Force C-130J transport aircraft and are currently en route back to the United States.

​The exact circumstances surrounding how the two soldiers entered the ocean remain unclear. The U.S. military confirmed that the incident is actively under investigation, and further details will be released as they are verified.