One of the two US soldiers missing off the coast of Morocco jumped into the Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to save the other's life, defence officials have confirmed. The soldiers were taking part in the annual African Lion training exercise, overseen by United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
The pair were part of a group that used recreational time on Saturday to leave the Cap Draa Training Area near Tan-Tan to climb nearby cliffs to watch the sunset. Around 9 p.m. local time, one soldier, who could not swim, fell into the ocean. The group formed a human chain using belts to try to pull him out, but failed.
A second soldier then jumped in to rescue his colleague but was struck by a wave. When neither could make it back to shore, a third soldier entered the water but could not reach them and returned for safety. Multiple aircraft, drones, divers and ships have been deployed to search the southwestern coastline, with a Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft joining the search from Sigonella Naval Air Station in Italy.
The Moroccan military has also sent scuba divers to search caves along the shoreline. AFRICOM stated: “The incident remains under investigation, and the search is ongoing. Our focus is on the service members involved and their families.” The identities and ranks of the missing soldiers have not been released.
African Lion, held annually since 2004, involves around 5,500 personnel from over 30 nations and is the largest AFRICOM drill on the continent. In 2012, two US Marines were killed in a helicopter crash during the exercise in Agadir.
