- Five U.S. Marines missing in California as search for military helicopter continues
- Marines were flying from Nevada to San Diego when aircraft was reported overdue
- Ground teams deployed in mountainous area due to challenging weather and heavy winter storms in California
Additional Coverage:
Five U.S. Marines are currently missing in California as search crews continue to search for a military helicopter in a mountainous area of the state. The helicopter was located at 9:08 a.m. PST, but the Marines have yet to be found.
According to Lt. Matthew Carpenter, spokesperson for the San Diego County Sheriff’s office, the search operation began at around 1 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Search crews are still scouring Pine Valley in San Diego County, where the missing Marines, who were from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, were last seen. The Hill has reached out to the military base for comment.
The five missing Marines were part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. They were flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada to Miramar on Tuesday, but the aircraft was reported overdue.
Pine Valley, located in the Cuyamaca Mountains east of San Diego, is described as a very mountainous area by Carpenter. The search efforts are further complicated by the challenging weather conditions. Instead of flying helicopters, ground teams are being deployed to search for the missing Marines.
This search operation involves multiple agencies, including the Border Patrol, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Heavy winter storms have been affecting California, including San Diego County.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, which is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, is located in San Diego.
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