Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington’s remains were discovered in a cave around 500 meters from where she reportedly entered the Atlantic Ocean
The remains of the second US soldier who went missing during the African Lion military exercise in Morocco has been recovered after nearly two weeks of search operations involving more than 1,000 military and civilian personnel.
The US Army Europe and Africa announced on Wednesday that the body of Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington of Tavares, Florida was found on May 12 in a coastal cave around 500 meters from where she reportedly entered the Atlantic Ocean.
Collington, 19, and her colleague 1st Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, went missing on May 2 near Morocco’s Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, a remote coastal zone of cliffs and desert plains. The two had participated in African Lion 2026 but were reportedly off duty during a recreational hike when they fell from a cliff. Key’s body was recovered on May 9 around one mile from where the two soldiers were believed to have entered the water, according to the US Army.
The army said the recovery operation spanned more than 21,300 square km and involved over 1,000 US and Moroccan personnel, deploying aircraft, drones, surface vessels, divers, mountaineers, and ground teams.
Collington served as an air and missile defense crew member with Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. She joined active duty in 2024 and had just been promoted to specialist on May 1, shortly before the incident.
Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, called her death “a profound loss.” Capt. Spencer Grider, commander of Charlie Battery, echoed similar sentiments, describing Collington as “an outstanding soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered.”
The remains of Key and Collington departed Morocco aboard a US Air Force C-130J after US forces and their Moroccan counterparts conducted “a dignified carry” at the military airport in Guelmim on Wednesday, honoring both soldiers, the army said.
African Lion is AFRICOM’s largest annual exercise, aimed at bolstering interoperability between US forces, NATO allies, and African partners. The 2026 edition involved more than 5,600 personnel and concluded on May 8. Fatal incidents have occurred in previous exercises, including a 2012 MV-22 Osprey crash in Morocco that killed two US Marines.
