A North Carolina-based male Marine attached to a Camp Lejeune infantry battalion died Thursday morning during a unit hike, base officials at the North Carolina base said.
The male Marine, whose identity is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification, lost consciousness just before 6:30 a.m. during a conditioning hike at Camp Lejeune, on base, said 1st Lt. John McCombs, a spokesman for II Marine Expeditionary Force, in a news release. He was attached to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines.
After the Marine lost consciousness, he was transported to the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:47 a.m., McCombs said. Marine oOfficials with 8th Marines are investigating the cause of his death. Further details about the incident were not immediately available.
Marine deaths during physical training are uncommon but not unheard of.
In November 2014, a Marine supply officer, Maj. Ryan Hansen, collapsed and died during unit training in Germany, where he was stationed with Marine Forces Europe. Earlier that e same year, a Camp Lejeune logistics officer, Lt. Col. Andrew Reed, died while taking the Physical Fitness Test. Reed had been set to take over the Camp Lejeune Logistics Operations School at the time of his death.
