Parris Island service member found dead in waterway was Navy corpsman on depot

A Navy corpsman assigned to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., was identified as one of two people found dead over the weekend in a Beaufort County waterway after he was reported missing last week.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Yu Wei Huo, 33, who served with the base’s Headquarters and Support Battalion, was found dead on Sunday in the Broad River, according to a Marine Corps statement Wednesday.

His identity and assignment clarify earlier media reports that suggested that Huo was a Marine assigned to the installation.

Huo enlisted in the Navy out of Flushing, N.Y., in April 2023, according to service officials. He served as a dental assistant at the depot, the Marine Corps release said. 

He was reported missing Friday after last being seen near the Broad River Bridge at approximately 3:30 p.m. the previous day, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media statement on Friday.

His body was recovered from the river at approximately 12:15 p.m. Sunday and later identified by the county coroner’s office, several media outlets reported.

An investigation into the circumstances and cause of death is underway, base officials said.

“Out of respect for the sailor’s family and loved ones, no additional details will be released at this time,” base officials said in the statement. 

Local authorities also recovered a second body from the river Sunday. Investigators have not publicly identified that person. The two deaths are believed to be unrelated, the sheriff’s office said.