May 13, 2026
Community Grieves Loss of Tavares Soldier Mariyah Collington After Tragedy Overseas
By Cindy Peterson
Community Grieves Loss of Tavares Soldier Mariyah Collington After Tragedy Overseas
Tavares native Army Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, has been identified as one of two U.S. soldiers who died during a military exercise in Morocco after the pair went missing earlier this month.
According to military officials, Mariyah and 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. were reported missing May 2 after falling from a cliff during a hike while participating in African Lion, a multinational military training exercise held in Morocco.
On Wednesday, U.S. Africa Command confirmed Mariyah’s remains had been recovered following an extensive search effort involving U.S. forces and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.
Mariyah served as an air missile defense crewmember assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Her awards and decorations included the Army Service Ribbon.
The annual African Lion exercise launched in April across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal and involved more than 7,000 military personnel from over 30 nations.
As news spread throughout Lake County, friends and family members shared tributes remembering Mariyah’s life, service and impact on those around her.
“Today my heart carries both unbearable sorrow and unshakable love,” her grandmother, Donnia Warren Rainey, wrote in a social media post. “My beautiful granddaughter, Specialist Mariyah Symone Collington, has gone home to God, and the world feels different without her light.”
“Mariyah served with courage, lived with purpose, and loved with a heart far beyond her years,” Donnia continued. “Though my grief is heavy, I trust that God wanted His angel back.”
Another post described Mariyah as a “sweet beautiful HERO” while asking the community for continued prayers and support for the family.
In a statement released Wednesday, Gen. Dagvin Anderson and Command Sgt. Maj. Garric Banfield praised the multinational search effort that helped recover Mariyah.
“The search that brought her home was a testament to what combined operations look like at their best,” the statement reads. “Morocco proved what those partnerships mean.”
Military officials say the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Cindy serves as Executive Editor of Style Magazine and is a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography and video editing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine’s Sports Hub Podcast and Style Podcast. Cindy also serves as a producer for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy enjoys traveling to national parks with her husband, Ryan, and son, David, while photographing wildlife — especially squirrels.
