Remains of second US soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco have been recovered
Mariyah Symone Collington and Kendrick Lamont Key Jr, who also died, had fallen off a cliff during an off-duty hike
The remains of the second US army soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco have been recovered, the army said on Wednesday, ending a multinational search operation that deployed air, naval and artificial intelligence assets.
The soldier was identified as Spc Mariyah Symone Collington of Taveres, Florida, the US Army Europe and Africa said in a statement. She was 19 years old.
This is heartbreaking. Two young soldiers lost their lives in an off-duty hiking accident. My deepest sympathies go out to the families of Spc. Collington and Pfc. Key.
I understand they were off duty, but why were they hiking near a cliff without proper safety gear? The military needs to review its risk management for recreational activities during deployments.
The use of AI in the search is interesting, but it took days to find their remains. At 19 and 22, they had their whole lives ahead of them. So tragic.
Where exactly did this happen? I’ve been to Morocco and some of those coastal cliffs are treacherous. The army should have warned them about the terrain.
Rest in peace, soldiers. It’s a sobering reminder that danger can come even when you’re not in combat. My thoughts are with their families in Florida and Indiana.