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Marrakech – The remains of US Army Specialist Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, arrived at Orlando Executive Airport on Wednesday, more than a month after her death during the African Lion military exercise in Morocco.
At least 15 family members, many dressed in bright colors, gathered near the tarmac as a hearse carrying Collington’s flag-draped casket reached the airport. US Army personnel were present for the solemn homecoming. Community members later lined the route to the Marvin C. Zanders Funeral Home in Apopka, where her remains were taken.
“It’s been one month since we got the call,” family member Cherlette McCullough told local media, describing the loss as devastating for relatives still processing Collington’s death.
The day before the accident, Collington spoke with her family by video call while they celebrated her older brother’s graduation from the University of Florida. Her brother has since joined the US Navy.
Collington, a native of Tavares, Florida, and First Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, disappeared on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area along Morocco’s southern coast. Both were in the country as part of African Lion 26, the annual multinational military exercise.
A preliminary report indicated the two were part of a group of service members on an off-duty recreational hike to watch the sunset. A soldier who could not swim fell into the water. The second jumped in to attempt a rescue but was struck by a wave. Other service members tried to intervene but were unsuccessful.
Key’s body was recovered on May 9. Collington’s remains were located on May 12 inside a coastal cave roughly 500 meters from where both soldiers reportedly entered the ocean. The Army noted that challenging ocean conditions, coastal terrain, and the cave’s limited accessibility complicated the search throughout.
More than 1,000 US and Moroccan military and civilian personnel participated in the operation. The search covered over 21,300 square kilometers using drones, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, boats, dive teams, and mountaineering units. The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) transported Collington’s remains by helicopter to Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim. Both soldiers later departed Morocco aboard a US Air Force C-130J.
Collington entered the Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2023 and began active duty in 2024. She completed training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a 14P air and missile defense crewmember and reported to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany, in February 2025. She was promoted to specialist on May 1, 2026 – one day before the incident.
Before enlisting, Collington graduated from Evans High School in 2024. She was a two-year varsity cheerleader and participated in the school’s nursing program.
A public celebration of life is scheduled for June 13 at First Baptist Church of Apopka. The incident remains under investigation.
