The body of one of two US soldiers who went missing during the African Lion military exercise in Morocco has been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, military officials said on Sunday.
The soldier was identified as 1st Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, an Air Defense Artillery officer from Richmond, Virginia. A Moroccan military search team found his remains along the shoreline at around 8:55 AM local time on May 9, roughly one mile from where the two soldiers were believed to have entered the water, according to the army.
According to the US Army, Key was a platoon leader assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
Key and another US soldier were reported missing on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, a rugged coastal zone of cliffs, desert, and semidesert plains. The two had taken part in African Lion 26 earlier in the day, but officials said they were off duty during a recreational hike when they fell from a cliff.
The second soldier remains missing, with search efforts continuing.
“Our Moroccan hosts have provided every asset we’ve requested… We’re incredibly grateful for the efforts they, along with our teammates from across the services, continue to pour in as we search for our remaining soldier,” Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of US Army Europe and Africa, said.
The operation has involved more than 600 personnel from the US, Morocco, and partner forces, using frigates, vessels, helicopters, drones, divers, and ground teams. US Africa Command (AFRICOM) earlier said US, Moroccan, and other African Lion assets had immediately launched coordinated search-and-rescue efforts.
African Lion is AFRICOM’s largest annual joint exercise and is designed to strengthen interoperability among US forces, NATO allies, and African partner nations. This year’s drills ran from April 20 to May 8 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, involving more than 5,600 civilian and military personnel from over 40 nations.
Fatal incidents have occurred during the exercise before. In 2012, an MV-22 Osprey crashed in a Moroccan training area during African Lion drills, killing two US marines and severely injuring two others.