Crime & Safety
Search For Missing Worcester Marine Enters 'Passive' Phase
Cpl. Samuel Maturi Wanjiru, 26, was swept out to sea last week while visiting a beach in Puerto Rico.
WORCESTER, MA — The search for a U.S. Marine from Worcester who was swept out to sea from a beach in Puerto Rico has shifted from an active into a passive phase, according to emergency management officials.
Cpl. Samuel Maturi Wanjiru, 26, disappeared last Wednesday while visiting Liquillo Beach on the northeast side of Puerto Rico. The U.S. Coast Guard and Puerto Rican rescue crews searched through the weekend by air and sea, but have not turned up any sign of Wanjiru, according to a news release posted Sunday night.
Officials in Liquillo will continue to search for signs of Wanjiru along beaches.
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Wanjiru was a motor vehicle operator for the Marine Wing Support Squadron 472 based in New Jersey. He was visiting Puerto Rico on vacation, not as part of any military duty, according to a U.S. Marines spokesperson.
Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Puerto Rico has been under various weather warnings over the past week over rip tides and high surf, according to the National Weather Service.
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