Remains of 19-year-old US Army Specialist who went missing during Morocco exercises recovered
RABAT, MOROCCO: The US military has recovered the remains of a second Army soldier who went missing during multinational training exercises in Morocco, concluding a major search effort involving both American and Moroccan forces.
The soldier was identified as Specialist Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Tavares, Florida. According to a statement from US Army Europe and Africa, Collington’s remains were recovered with assistance from the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and transported by military helicopter to Moulay El Hassan military hospital in Guelmim, Morocco.
Collington disappeared earlier this month during an off-duty recreational hike connected to the African Lion 26 military exercises. Officials said she and another soldier, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., reportedly fell from a cliff while hiking in a remote area. Key’s remains were recovered last week, while the search for Collington continued until Wednesday.
BREAKING: The U.S. Army says the body of First Lieutenant Lamont Key Jr., one of two American soldiers missing after a training exercise in Morocco, has been recovered. Moroccan search teams found his body along the southern coastline near where the soldiers disappeared during… pic.twitter.com/6cOTLM8Gad
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 10, 2026
Search operation involved over 1,000 personnel
The disappearance of the two soldiers on May 2 prompted an extensive multinational search and rescue mission involving more than 1,000 US and Moroccan military and civilian personnel. The operation also utilized air, naval, and advanced technological resources as teams searched difficult terrain in southern Morocco.
A spokesperson for the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), confirmed that both soldiers’ remains are now being prepared for return to the United States.
Collington served as an air and missile defense crew member assigned to Charlie Battery, Fifth Battalion, Fourth Air Defense Artillery Regiment, under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. She entered the Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2023 before beginning active-duty service in 2024.
BREAKING: The U.S. military says the remains of a second Army soldier missing during training exercises in Morocco have been recovered. Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, reportedly fell off a cliff during a recreational hike as part of the African Lion exercises. The remains of… pic.twitter.com/8Qvzas93xR
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 13, 2026
After completing basic combat training and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, she was stationed in Ansbach, Germany, in February 2025. She had recently been promoted to Specialist on May 1, just one day before she was reported missing. Her military honors included the Army Service Ribbon.
African Lion among the largest US-led drills in Africa
African Lion 26 is a major US-led multinational military exercise taking place across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. This year’s drills involve more than 7,000 troops from over 30 countries and focus on combat readiness, coordination, and regional security cooperation.
The annual exercise, held since 2004, is regarded as the largest US joint military training operation on the African continent.
The incident has also revived memories of a previous tragedy tied to the drills. In 2012, two US Marines were killed and two others injured in a helicopter crash near Agadir during African Lion exercises in Morocco.
