Camp Pendleton Marine 'no longer considered missing person': military base

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on Wednesday announced it is no longer considering Lance Corporal Bailey Cameron as a missing person.

The 23-year-old, who is scheduled to exit the Marine Corps on Sept. 9., was reported missing on Aug. 25, a day after video shows him leaving Coyote Bar and Grill in Carlsbad the night before without his backpack, sunglasses and phone. Since his disappearance, there have been unconfirmed sightings of him around the base.

Capt James C. Sartain, with Camp Pendleton, released a statement Wednesday saying that "recent activities connected to Lance Corporal Bailey Cameron indicate he has been on the installation."

"Therefore, he is no longer considered a missing person, but base officials continue attempts to locate and contact Lance Corporal Bailey Cameron and are actively working with his parents to encourage him to return to his unit in accordance with his official service obligations," Sartain said.

On Monday, FOX 5/KUSI spoke to his family who traveled from Washington to North County. They, however, believe their son to be in distress.

“The behavior is so foreign. It’s foreign to how we knew him before he was a Marine, and it’s foreign to all the Marines here. It’s not Bailey,” Cameron’s father Kevin said when learning that his son lost contact with his command post, friends and has not returned to his barracks.

His family claims a Marine spotted Cameron on Saturday, Aug. 31 around 11:30 p.m. and reported active signs of distress before running away toward the ocean.

“The gentleman we talked to said Bailey looked so afraid, so distressed. I just need to know that he’s okay,” said Juliette England, his mother.

Surveillance video and photos also show Cameron on base at an ATM earlier in the week on Wednesday, Aug. 28.

The family urges the public to share this post from RAD Movement and to contact the organization if you or someone you know has a lead.

FOX 5/KUSI's Sarah Alegre contributed to this story.