A dayslong search in the Caribbean Sea failed to find a 21-year-old Marine. Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, who went overboard from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima on Feb. 7, has been declared dead after what the Marine Corps called extensive search-and-rescue efforts failed to find him, the Military Times reports. The Florida native was an infantry rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines out of Camp Lejeune and was deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Officials say five Navy ships, a rigid-hull inflatable boat, rescue swimmers, and 10 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force joined the search before it was suspended on Tuesday. "We are all grieving alongside the Oforah family," said Col. Tom Trimble, 22nd MEU commanding officer. "The loss of Lance Cpl. Oforah is deeply felt across the entire Navy-Marine Corps team. He will be profoundly missed, and his dedicated service will not be forgotten."
The Iwo Jima is currently operating in the Caribbean and was recently involved in transporting captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The circumstances of Oforah's fall remain under investigation.
- In a separate incident, two Navy ships operating in the Caribbean collided on Wednesday, the AP reports. US Southern Command said the destroyer USS Truxtun and the supply ship USNS Supply collided during a ship-to-ship refueling mission, causing minor injuries to two sailors. Southern Command said both sailors' physical condition is stable and both ships are now sailing safely.
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