TAVARES, FL (352today.com) – The body of Tavares’s own U.S. Army Specialist Mariyah Collington, who went missing along with another soldier during a training exercise on May 2, 2026, in Morrocco, has been recovered.
According to a report by Military.com, Spc. Collington’s body was found and retrieved on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from a series of coastal caves not far from where she entered the water after reportedly falling off a cliff. The other missing soldier, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., had been located nearby on May 9.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Specialist Mariyah Collington, a young woman from Tavares who made a decision to serve her country with courage, pride, and honor. At just 19 years old, she had already committed herself to something greater than herself through her service in the United States Army,” said Lake County Board of County Commissioners Chari Leslie Campione in a May 15 statement.
“The impact of this tragedy is felt deeply in Lake County. We’re all thinking today of Mariyah’s family, friends, fellow soldiers, and everyone who loved her.
“Mariyah represented the very best traits of Lake County: strength, dedication, and selflessness. We stand together in mourning her loss and honoring her memory. She will not be forgotten.”
According to an Army press release, Collington “served as an air and missile defense crewmember and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.”
“The loss of Spc. Collington is a profound loss for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command,” said Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, in the release. “Her recovery closes the search for our two missing soldiers, but our commitment to caring for their families, friends, and teammates continues.”
Our deepest condolences to the family, friends and community Spc. Collington loved and served with pride.