One of the two U.S. soldiers missing off the coast of Morocco leapt into the Atlantic Ocean in a desperate attempt to save the life of a fellow service member, defense officials have confirmed. The pair were taking part in the multinational training exercise African Lion, overseen by United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Incident Details
The soldiers were part of a group that used their recreational time on Saturday to leave the Cap Draa Training Area near the desert city of Tan-Tan. They scaled nearby clifftops to watch the sunset over the ocean. Around 9 p.m. local time, one soldier, who could not swim, fell into the water.
The group attempted to form a human chain using their belts to pull the soldier out, but their efforts were unsuccessful, according to CBS News. At that point, a second soldier jumped in to rescue their colleague but was struck by a wave. Neither could make it back to shore. A third soldier entered the water but could not reach them and had to return for their own safety.
Search and Rescue Operations
Officials told CBS that multiple aircraft, drones, divers, and ships have been deployed to search for the two missing soldiers along Morocco's southwestern coastline. A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft joined the hunt on Tuesday, setting out from Sigonella Naval Air Station in Italy. The Moroccan military is also sending scuba divers to search caves dotting the region's 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 pair have not yet been released to the public.
African Lion Exercise
The annual African Lion training initiative has been held since 2004, running from April to May. It involves American forces in war games with allies from Africa and NATO states at bases across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. Approximately 5,500 personnel from more than 30 nations participate, making it the largest AFRICOM drill on the continent, according to Stars and Stripes.
The exercise has been credited with strengthening regional ties in a part of the world where disillusioned military officers have led coups against democratically elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent years. In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed during African Lion in a helicopter crash near the southern Moroccan city of Agadir.
