Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego is shown on August 25, 2023. Search teams found the Marine Corps helicopter, which was reported to be overdue, early Wednesday morning in a mountainous area outside San Diego.
Nelvin C. Cepeda/AP
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Nelvin C. Cepeda/AP
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego is shown on August 25, 2023. Search teams found the Marine Corps helicopter, which was reported to be overdue, early Wednesday morning in a mountainous area outside San Diego.
Nelvin C. Cepeda/AP
SAN DIEGO — A missing Marine Corps helicopter carrying five soldiers was found Wednesday morning in a mountainous area outside San Diego as historic storms continue to flood California.
The plane was discovered by authorities shortly after 9 a.m. near the mountain community of Pine Valley, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) by car from San Diego, but rescue workers said snowfall made it difficult to approach it on the ground. He says it's difficult.
“The Marines were working with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and multiple federal state and local agencies to locate the crew using ground and air assets,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.
Defense officials say the Marines are flying CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, where they conduct unit-level training and are returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. It is said that it was.
It was not immediately known when the helicopter left Creech or when it was expected to arrive. Waves of heavy rain pounded the area overnight, and snow was forecast for the mountains of San Diego County.
The five U.S. Marines were assigned to the 361st Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron, 16th Marine Aircraft Group, 3rd Marine Wing in Miramar, the Marine Corps said in a statement.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department announced at 1 a.m. that the plane had been delayed in arriving in Miramar and had last been seen in the Pine Valley area, a mountainous region near the Cleveland National Forest, about 56 kilometers east of downtown San Diego. I received a notification that there was. Diego, Lt. Matthew Carpenter said.
The Marines said the military was coordinating search and rescue efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the Civil Air Patrol.
Heavy snow fell Wednesday on sparsely populated mountains covered in pine trees and deep brush, making the area difficult to access, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (also known as Cal Fire) told X (formerly Twitter). said in a statement. The agency said it has requested additional resources and is coordinating with the military, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego Sheriff's Department and state Civil Air Patrol.
The Cleveland National Forest is 720 square miles (1,860 square kilometers), with many steep, rocky sections with limited trails.
The National Weather Service in San Diego said 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) of snow and strong winds would fall on mountains above 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) late Wednesday. A tornado warning was issued Tuesday afternoon, but was quickly lifted after the National Weather Service said there was no chance of the storm forming a twister.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, responding to questions as the president flew to New York City for a campaign fundraiser, said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the missing Marine.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “We are monitoring this closely, and we reiterate that our thinking is the best.”
At approximately 99 feet (30 meters) in length, the CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest and heaviest military helicopter. According to the Marine Corps' website, it can move troops and equipment through rough terrain during inclement weather, including at night. The amount of downwash produced by its three engines also earned it the nickname “Hurricane Maker.”
In January 1990, two CH-53E helicopters were used to rescue the United States and foreign allies from the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, the capital of war-torn Somalia.
