A 25-year-old US Marine from Maryland has died following fast-rope training at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, with the cause of death currently under investigation.
TOKYO: A Marine died after a training exercise in Japan’s Okinawa, the US military said on Thursday.
Lance Cpl. Devin J. Hernandez, 25, of Maryland, was “participating in fast-rope training at Camp Schwab when he sustained injuries,” the 3rd Marine Division said in a statement.
Sebastian RiveraAponte, a spokesman for the division, confirmed earlier to AFP that a Marine died on Tuesday following training at the camp.
The cause of death “is still under investigation”, he said, declining to disclose further details.
“Our focus remains on supporting (Hernandez’s family) while we fully investigate the circumstances of this tragic incident,” Maj. Gen. Kyle Ellison, commanding general of 3rd Marine Division, said in the statement.
The United States has around 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly in Okinawa.
While the US military presence is key in Japan’s defence policy, it has also long been a thorn in relations between the close security allies.
In October, a US Marine stationed on Okinawa was arrested and indicted on suspicion of murdering a woman, triggering outrage in Japan.
