A U.S. Marine, Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, has been declared dead after falling overboard from the USS Iwo Jima during operations in the Caribbean Sea.
Oforah, 21, a Florida resident of Nigerian descent, went over the side of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima on February 7 while it was deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit as part of broader regional operations.
Following the incident, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force units launched an extensive search and rescue mission. After 72 hours of continuous efforts, the operation was suspended, and Oforah was formally declared deceased on February 10.
“We are all grieving alongside the Oforah family,” Col. Tom Trimble, commanding officer of the 22nd MEU (SOC), said in a statement, noting that the loss “is deeply felt across the entire Navy-Marine Corps team.”
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Oforah served as an infantry rifleman assigned to Battalion Landing Team 3/6. He enlisted in October 2023 and completed recruit training at Parris Island before further training at Camp Lejeune. He later deployed with his unit aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
In a separate and unrelated development, the U.S. Navy confirmed that two of its vessels — USS Truxtun and USNS Supply — were involved in a minor collision during a replenishment-at-sea operation earlier this week. Two personnel sustained minor injuries, and both ships are reported to be operating safely as the incident is being reviewed.
