Camp Lejeune Marine dies after going overboard in the Caribbean.

(WWAY) — The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit announced the death of a Marine who was lost at sea while on an operation in the Caribbean.

21-year-old Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah of Florida fell overboard the USS Iwo Jima on February 7th.

After a 72‑hour search and rescue operation involving a multi‑branch effort that covered a wide area and involved a range of assets, including five U.S. Navy ships, a rigid‑hull inflatable boat, and ten aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force—all supported by National Technical Means… Oforah was declared dead on February 10th.

Oforah was an infantry rifleman. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 2023 and graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, in February 2024.

He completed the School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.

At the time of his death, he was deployed with Battalion Landing Team 3/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, aboard the USS Iwo Jima.

The incident is currently under investigation.