U.S. Army Recovered Lamont Key Jr. in Missing Soldiers In Morocco Search
The body of First Lieutenant Lamont Key Jr. was recovered on May 10, 2026, after he went missing in waters off Morocco on May 2 during missing soldiers in morocco search operations tied to an annual U.S. Army exercise. The recovery leaves one other U.S. service member still missing, with search operations continuing off Morocco’s southern coast.
Lamont Key Jr. recovered off Morocco
Key, 27, was found by a Moroccan military search team at about 8:55 a.m. Saturday morning local time along the shoreline about a mile from where the two service members vanished near the Cap Draa Training Area. He was from Richmond, Virginia, and served as an air defense artillery officer with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
His body was recovered after more than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel joined the search. Chris Couch said Key had “embodied the highest standards of service as a selfless, inspirational leader whose unwavering dedication to his Soldiers and their development leaves an enduring legacy within our ranks.”
Africa Lion and the shoreline search
The two service members were taking part in African Lion, an annual training exercise in Morocco, when they disappeared in waters off the country’s southern coast near the Cap Draa Training Area. Defense officials previously said the incident was not believed to be related to African Lion.
A preliminary report said the soldiers had gone on a hike to watch the sunset when one soldier who was known not to be able to swim fell into the water. The second soldier jumped in to attempt a rescue but was hit by a wave. Other soldiers tried to save the two men, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Search for the second soldier
Search operations for the second missing serviceman will continue. Curtis King said colleagues were “grieving,” that they should “continue to support one another,” and that they should do so “as we honor his life and service.”
Key joined his battalion in 2025 and had become a platoon leader by the time he died. Before joining the military in 2023, he earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Methodist University in North Carolina and completed minors in international business, entrepreneurship and business administration. He also earned the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
