US says body of soldier found after two went missing during exercise in Morocco

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — The remains of a US soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco a week ago were recovered in the Atlantic Ocean, the army said Sunday. Military teams were still searching for a second missing soldier.

The remains were those of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer who was one of two US soldiers who fell off a cliff during a recreational hike in Morocco while off duty. He was 27 years old.

The two were reported missing May 2 after participating in African Lion, an annual multinational military exercise held in Morocco.

“A Moroccan military search team found the soldier in the water along the shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time May 9, within roughly one mile of where both soldiers reportedly entered the ocean,” US Army Europe and Africa said in a statement.

The two went missing around 9 p.m. near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, a terrain characterized by mountains, desert, and semidesert plains, according to the Moroccan military.

Their disappearance triggered a search-and-rescue operation involving more than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco, and other military partners. The operation deployed frigates, vessels, helicopters, and drones.

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 efforts will continue for the missing second soldier, a US defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as they were not allowed to speak publicly on the issue.

The official said a US contingent remained in Morocco after the war games ended Friday to provide command and control and to continue search and rescue operations.

Key was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, the army said. His decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024 as an Air Defense Artillery officer. He later completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, according to the statement.

African Lion 26 is a US-led exercise launched in April across four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal – with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. Since 2004, it has been the largest US joint military exercise in Africa.

In 2012, two US Marines were killed and two others injured during a helicopter crash in Morocco’s southern city of Agadir while taking part in the exercises.