A search was launched Wednesday for a helicopter with five Marines on board after the plane failed to reach a California base, the U.S. Marine Corps said.
The Marines were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, according to a statement from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The crew was aboard a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, which was reported to be overdue after leaving Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada, on Tuesday. The helicopter was headed to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
“The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is coordinating search and rescue efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the Civil Air Patrol,” according to a statement.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection received word about the missing helicopter at 2:20 am. The last known contact with the crew was at 11:30 p.m., according to Cal Fire San Diego Capt. Mike Cornette.
The Marine Corps provided firefighters and paramedics with a set of coordinates in Lake Marina, a remote area in the Cleveland National Forest. Search efforts were hampered by “a lot of snow and muddy terrain,” Cornette said.
The U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, San Diego County Sheriff's Department and Civil Air Patrol are assisting in search efforts.
