A 21-year-old United States Marine of Nigerian descent, Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka Oforah, has died after falling overboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima during a military deployment in the Caribbean, the United States Marine Corps has announced.
Oforah, a Florida-based infantry rifleman serving with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, reportedly fell into the sea on February 7 while the vessel was conducting operations linked to ongoing U.S. military activities in the region.
According to the U.S. Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, he was declared dead on February 10 after an intensive 72-hour search-and-rescue operation failed to locate him alive.
It was gathered that the search effort covered a vast area of the Caribbean Sea and involved five U.S. Navy ships, a rigid-hull inflatable rescue boat, and 10 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, including helicopters and surveillance planes.
In a statement released by the II Marine Expeditionary Force, the Marine Corps said the incident triggered a large-scale multi-agency rescue mission involving naval ships, aircraft and specialised rescue teams.
“We are all grieving alongside the Oforah family,” said Col. Tom Trimble, commanding officer of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“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.”
Oforah enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 2023 and completed his training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, before being assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. He was deployed aboard the USS Iwo Jima as part of Battalion Landing Team 3/6 at the time of the incident.
While the circumstances surrounding how the young Marine went overboard remain unclear, the Naval Safety Command and Naval Surface Force Atlantic have launched an investigation into the incident.
