By Mike McCombs
The U.S. Marine recruit found dead Tuesday morning at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island has been identified as 21-year-old Pvt. Anthony Munoz of Lawrence, Mass.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Pvt. Anthony Munoz,” MCRD Parris Island spokesperson Capt. Philip Kulczewski said Thursday afternoon in a release. “Our Marines send heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”
According to the release, Munoz was assigned to Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment. Lima Company was on Training Day 1 when the death occurred.
Munoz was single and a member of the Lawrence (Mass.) High School Class of 2018.
According to Beaufort County Coroner David Ott on Tuesday, Munoz was “found deceased at about 7:30 a.m., apparently from a fall from the balcony.” He said that is all the information that would be released at this time.
An autopsy was scheduled for 8:30 a.m., Thursday at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. According to Kulczewski, the incident is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS).
“Again, this incident is currently under investigation, no further details can be released at this time,” Kulczewski said Tuesday in a statement. “The Marine Corps maintains high training standards as well as thorough safety precautions. All safety incidents are taken seriously.”
Tuesday’s death marks the second time this year a recruit has died at Parris Island.
Nineteen-year-old Dalton Beals of Pennsville, N.J. died in June while taking part in The Crucible, the extremely difficult exercise recruits undertake near the end of their training to become Marines. The more-than-two-day exercise concludes with a 9-mile hike.
Beals suffered heat injuries and could not be revived.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
