Prayers are needed for this Marine’s family. A U.S. Marine who was stationed on the USS Iwo Jima has died. The Marine died after reportedly falling overboard on the Iwo Jima, which was sailing in the Caribbean Sea. The body of the Marine has yet to be recovered. The Navy Times had more details to share on the death of the Marine: A Marine who fell overboard from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima on Feb. 7 has been declared dead after exhaustive search-and-rescue efforts were unsuccessful, the service announced. Rescue efforts for Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, 21, were suspended on Feb. 10, three days after the Marine went overboard in the Caribbean Sea, II Marine Expeditionary Force officials announced. Oforah, of Florida, was an infantry rifleman assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the service announced. He graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot-Parris Island in February 2024 and was deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit at the time of his death. “We are all grieving alongside the Oforah family,” Col. Tom Trimble, the 22nd MEU commanding officer, said in a 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.” A massive multi-branch search effort ensued on Feb. 7 after a man overboard was declared, according to the release. Five U.S. Navy ships, a rigid-hull inflatable boat, surface rescue swimmers from the Iwo Jima and 10 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force joined the search efforts, according to the announcement. The Iwo Jima is currently deployed to the Caribbean, where it was recently involved in transporting captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Here’s a photo of the USS Iwo Jima, where the Marine was stationed: Mayport, #UnitedStates () The @USNavy‘s USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) has returned to the U.S., arriving at NS Mayport yesterday for a much needed return. The Iwo Jima has been on deployment in the Caribbean for 137 days, participating in Operation Southern Spear & Absolute Resolve. pic.twitter.com/NdffE3mg28 — SA Defensa (@SA_Defensa) January 9, 2026 The news of the Marine’s death comes a couple of days before two U.S. Navy ships collided in the Caribbean. The Hill reported more on the collision: Two U.S. Navy ships collided Wednesday in an area patrolled by the U.S. Southern Command (Southcom), leaving two personnel with minor injuries, according to military officials. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun and Supply-class fast combat support vessel USNS Supply collided during a replenishment-at-sea, Southcom spokesperson Steven McLoud said in a statement. The injured personnel sustained minor injuries in the incident and are in stable condition. Both ships have reported sailing safely and the collision is currently under investigation, McLoud added. The cause of the collision is unclear, along with the exact location of the incident. A replenishment typically involves transferring fuel and other supplies between two vessels that are sailing next to each other. The death of the Marine and the collision come as the U.S. military has begun shifting naval assets from the Caribbean to the Middle East.