Five US Marines Missing After Helicopter Discovered Near San Diego, Reports Reuters

Five U.S. Marines were reported missing on Wednesday after their helicopter’s wreckage was discovered in a remote area east of San Diego, shortly after it went missing amid heavy rain and snow.

The wreckage of the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was located by local authorities in Pine Valley around 9 a.m., approximately eight hours after it was deemed overdue when it failed to arrive at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California, according to a statement from the Marine Corps.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, along with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol, initiated search and rescue operations for the five crew members.

The helicopter was on a routine training flight that began at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, about 40 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the Marines reported.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department noted that it received a call at 1 a.m. regarding the missing helicopter. Due to the adverse weather conditions of mixed snow and rain, the department was unable to deploy its helicopter unit for the search and instead utilized all-terrain vehicles to cover the area.