Search Ongoing for Missing Marines After Helicopter Located Near San Diego

A Marine Corps helicopter carrying five troops, which had been reported missing, was located on Wednesday in an area outside San Diego, California. The search for the marines remains ongoing.

The aircraft was detected by civil authorities in the mountain community of Pine Valley. However, rescue efforts have been hindered by snowy weather conditions, making access to the helicopter challenging.

The missing Marines were aboard a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter en route from Creech Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada, to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, when it was reported overdue, stated the U.S. Marine Corps.

Assisting in the search and rescue operations are the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the Civil Air Patrol, and Cal Fire. Cal Fire mentioned that additional resources were requested to aid in the rescue near Pine Valley due to heavy snowfall.

Pine Valley, located less than 50 miles from San Diego and adjacent to the Cleveland National Forest, marks the approximate area of the aircraft’s last known location.