The Army recovered the body of the second of two soldiers who went missing this month after falling into the ocean while training in Morocco.
U.S. Army Europe and Africa said that Air Force pararescuemen with the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing as well as Moroccan search and rescue teams located the remains of Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, on Tuesday, May 12, 10 days after she and another soldier were declared missing near the Cap Draa Training Area in southwestern Morocco during African Lion 26.
Collington was an air and missile defense crewmember and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
“Spc. Collington was a bright light in this battalion. To the Soldiers who knew her best and served alongside her each day, she was a treasured friend whose loss leaves a deep and profound void on our team,” Lt. Col. Chris Couch, commander of 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, said in the Army’s announcement. “As we hold her family, friends, and teammates in our prayers, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the U.S. personnel and Moroccan partners who dedicated themselves to bringing her home.”
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Moroccan military teams found the body of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. on May 9. Key was an air defense artillery officer assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
According to reports, the two soldiers were part of a group of service members who went on a hike to oceanside cliffs on May 2, after finishing their training for the day. Cap Draa is near the Moroccan city of Tan Tan, along the Atlantic coast. One soldier fell in and the others tried to help. Another fell in as well and initial rescue efforts failed. The two were declared missing that evening.
Search and rescue efforts involved civilian and military personnel from several nations, with French, Moroccan and American ships searching the waters and multiple aircraft doing aerial reconnaissance. Moroccan mountaineering teams also scoured the area around the cliffs. The 11-day effort covered more than 21,300 square kilometers.
Collington joined the Army through the Delayed Entry Program in 2023 and entered active-duty service a year later. She had been promoted to specialist on May 1, the day before she went missing. Her decorations include the Army Service Ribbon.
Key was found roughly a mile away from where the soldiers fell in, and Collington was found in a cave roughly 500 meters away.
Both Key and Collington’s remains are being flown back to the United States.
The African Lion exercise, an annual event held in multiple countries on the continent, saw thousands of troops from several nations train on everything from urban warfare to artillery drills, as well as new tactics involving integrating drones. This year’s event wrapped on May 8, with some American forces remaining near Cap Draa to search for Key and Collington.
