The wreckage of the U. S. Navy helicopterThe U. S. Geological Survey that disappeared Wednesday morning with five other people on board were discovered on a mountainside near the Cleveland National Forest, around the ship’s last known location.
Authorities showed the location of the crash Wednesday, adding that the civilian government discovered the sunken ship in Pine Valley around 9:08 a. m. local time.
“The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is managing search and rescue efforts through the Wing Operations Command Center and using ground and aviation assets to locate the aircrew,” the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement.
Investigator Jason Paladino added that the Sikorsky 53 E helicopters – the aircraft flown by the military personnel – “have some of the worst safety records in military aviation” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
READ MORE: Military helicopter with five others on board goes missing while flying to California base
A desperate search was launched for the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that was delayed Tuesday night after it was “reported delayed”: It had not arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, a base near San Diego, California, that night as planned. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing posted a message on X, saying officials are scouring the ground and skies for missing Marines.
The agency is utilising the Wings Operations Command Center and assistance from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and “multiple federal, state and local agencies.”
The team of five Marines reportedly took off from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada, the day before and conducted some sort of educational project or training that ended with the helicopter landing in Miramar.
Around 1:50 a. m. local time, the Marines had asked the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol for help, with the former sending its own helicopter to search the area. There was only one problem: a violent atmospheric river. The typhoon hit the area, dumping noxious amounts of water on the area, flooding entire communities and causing landslides that caused damage.
Residents were ordered to evacuate many spaces or seek shelter in places where the weather was not as severe. Terrifying images from the weekend show other people waiting in several inches of filthy, fast-flowing water, looking to drive down streets lined with rivers. , or bravely film waves of dust tumbling down grimy hills.
So, with no way to reach search via the air yet, the sheriff’s department opted to use off-road vehicles that could more easily navigate the treacherous terrain, hoping desperately to find the helicopter but, more importantly, the five Marines on board.
California Fire said crews went to the plane’s last known location but discovered nothing. It had been spotted around the Cleveland National Forest near California’s Pine Valley, and the Marines on board allegedly called shortly after 2 a. m. local time, local news reported.
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The Marines were reportedly assigned to the “Flying Tigers,” a team that is part of the 361st Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron, 16th Marine Aircraft Group, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing released a statement about the incident at the time the craft was reported missing. It read: “The US Marine Corps is searching for five US Marines assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Marines were flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on February 6, 2024, when the aircraft was reported overdue.
“The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is coordinating search and rescue efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patro. The most up-to-date information will be released as it becomes available.”
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