Camp Lejeune Marine vanishes after falling off ship in Caribbean, officials say
A missing Marine based out of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina has been declared dead after falling from the deck of the USS Iwo Jima, according to U.S. Marine Corps officials.
Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah was declared lost at sea on Tuesday, Feb. 10, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit announced in a Feb. 12 news release.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently under investigation. ... He was reported falling overboard the USS Iwo Jima ... on the evening of Feb. 7 and was the subject of an extensive, around‑the‑clock 72‑hour search and rescue operation,” officials said in the release.
“The multi‑branch effort covered a wide search area and involved a range of assets, including five U.S. Navy ships, a rigid‑hull inflatable boat, and 10 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.”
Oforah is originally from Florida. He enlisted in 2023 and completed the School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune before being assigned as an infantry rifleman to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, at Camp Lejeune, officials said. He was aboard the USS Iwo Jima after being deployed with Battalion Landing Team 3/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, officials said.
The USS Iwo Jima is an amphibious assault ship designed to transport Marine Units, and a landing dock for helicopters. The warship “was recently involved in transporting captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro,” according to Military Times.
“We are all grieving alongside the Oforah family,” 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit Commanding Officer Col. Tom Trimble said in the news release.
“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.”
Camp Lejeune is about a 140-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 6:43 AM with the headline "Camp Lejeune Marine vanishes after falling off ship in Caribbean, officials say."