Three U.S. Marines who were found unresponsive in a car parked at a North Carolina gas station died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the local sheriff’s office said.
The lance corporals, identified by the U.S. Marine Corps as Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, of Madison, Wisconsin, Merax C. Dockery, 23, of Pottawatomie, Oklahoma, and Ivan R. Garcia, 23, of Naples, Florida, were stationed at nearby Camp Lejeune.
Deputies with the Pender County Sheriff’s Office found the three men Sunday morning in a privately owned car outside a Speedway gas station in Hampstead.
Autopsies performed Wednesday by the North Carolina Office of Medical Examiner determined that all three deaths were the result of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately make clear whether their deaths were accidental, but an investigation is ongoing and deputies said there isn’t believed to be a threat to the public.
‘I am saddened by the timeless and tragic death of these three young men, who served our country honorably,’ Sheriff Alan Cutler said.
‘Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families and colleagues during this time.’
The sheriff’s office said a woman called 911 at 8:22 a.m. on Sunday morning to report her son, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune, had not shown up for a flight in Oklahoma. She said she had spoken with a supervisor in his unit and that someone was en route to the location to see if they could locate him.
Another call came in at 9:03 a.m. with information that the missing person had been found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ inside a vehicle along with two other Marines.
All three Marines were motor vehicle operators with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
‘My deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to the family, friends, and colleagues of Lance Cpl. Kaltenberg, Lance Cpl. Dockery and Lance Cpl. Garcia,’ Brigadier General Michael E. McWilliams, the men’s commanding general said in a statement earlier this week.
‘Our focus is providing the necessary resources and support to those impacted by their tragic loss as they navigate this extremely difficult time.’
Lance Corporal Merax Dockery entered active duty in June 2020 and like his comrades proudly posted pictures of himself in uniform, some while holding weapons, others in what appears to be on duty in a desert.
Other pictures show his interests outside the military, including playing guitar and skateboarding.
Following the news of his death, Dockery’s mother, Heather Glᴀss, wrote on Facebook next to a picture of her son wearing a Stetson style hat: ‘My favorite picture of Merax… I will forever love you son’.
Lance Corporal Tanner Kaltenberg entered active duty in May 2021 and recently posted on social media about enjoying a ‘fun’ deployment to Setermoen Leir in Norway.
Alongside pictures of himself in military gear against the backdrop of the Northern Lights and snowy mountains the teenager wrote: ‘I couldn’t really post these in Setermoen Leir cause I would’ve gotten in trouble but we are coming down to the last days of deployment and it has been a blast.
He described how despite the cold he enjoyed taking part in the training exercise including conducting ‘the longest convoy in marine corps history across borders’. Adding: ‘All in all it was a fun a** deployment.’
Kaltenberg’s heartbroken sister Brianna Windisch wrote on Facebook on Tuesday: ‘Our whole world is flipped upside down right now. I miss you fiercely bro… it’s never goodbye, it’s see you later. I love you so much’ alongside a sweet picture with her brother’s arm around her.
Ivan Garcia, held the same position as the other two deceased men in the same regiment, and began active service in July 2019.
Garcia also posted pictures of himself in military gear, including in a recent post where he posed on a Tucker Sno-Cat.
The Lance Corporal also posted several pictures of himself with a silver four door car with distinct interior moderations. Dockery appears to be pictured inside the bejeweled vehicle from Garcia’s posts
On Tuesday, Garcia’s aunt Rosely posted a collection of sweet pH๏τos with her nephew with the devastating caption, translated from Spanish: ‘My boy, my love, what a void you have left, and look how you came without knowing it was the last trip I would see you.’
His bereaved aunt added: ‘Now who will I fight with? Who will I scold? Today I cant believe he is not here, oh my god, how painful my beautiful boy, why did you leave me’.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
‘This is an ongoing investigation. There does not appear to have ever been any threat to members of the community. More information will be released as we are able to do so,’ according to a sheriff’s office release.