A U.S. Marine reported missing off Southern California has triggered a multi-agency search and later a search-and-recovery effort spanning about 2,400 square miles over 43 hours, involving Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Air Force assets.
SAN DIEGO — Just after 1:21 a.m. local time on June 25, search and rescue teams began scouring waters off the Southern California coast after a U.S. Marine was reported missing, prompting a response that has now stretched across roughly 2,400 square miles.
The Marine was serving aboard the USS Anchorage during integrated training between the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, the Navy news release cited by ABC 10News San Diego and NBC 7 San Diego said.
By roughly 9 p.m. local time on June 26, the effort shifted from search and rescue to a search and recovery mission, according to the reports. The multi-agency operation used three ships and 12 aircraft over about 43 hours, drawing on the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force.
Military officials have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. and the Marine’s name has not been made public. NBC 7 San Diego reported that the Navy is withholding identification in line with policy to hold off until at least 24 hours after next-of-kin notification.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all who are affected during this difficult time,” the Navy said in the news release.
The USS Anchorage, where the Marine was serving, is an amphibious transport dock ship homeported at Naval Base San Diego. The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in north San Diego County.
The disappearance is the latest in a run of incidents involving missing U.S. service members. In May, two U.S. Army soldiers went missing in Morocco after participating in military exercises called African Lion 26, the U.S. Africa Command said in a statement at the time. African Lion 26 is an annual joint exercise hosted by Morocco. Ghana. Senegal. and Tunisia. aiming to “strengthen interoperability among U.S. forces, NATO Allies, and African partner nations,” according to the U.S. Army of Europe and Africa website.
The soldiers went missing on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area near the city of Tan Tan in southwestern Morocco. and more than 1. 000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel took part in the search operation. The bodies were recovered more than a week later and identified as 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., 27, and Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19. NBC News, The Associated Press, and the BBC reported the soldiers fell off a cliff during an off-duty recreational hike.
The sequence of events in the Southern California case—early-morning search initiation on June 25, the shift to recovery on June 26 evening, and the lack of circumstance details—has left the public waiting for answers as crews continue to work the area.
U.S. Marine missing USS Anchorage Southern California search Navy search and recovery 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group Coast Guard Air Force