SAN DIEGO – A massive search is underway in California for a helicopter carrying five Marines that has gone missing amid a recent atmospheric river storm, the U.S. Marine Corps said.
The military personnel were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, which is a part of Marine Aircraft Group 16 and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, according to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Cal Fire was notified about 2:20 a.m. PST Wednesday that the aircraft had not shown up to its destination, FOX 5 in San Diego reported. The helicopter was last seen north of Interstate 8 and Kitchen Road, southeast of Pine Valley.
The missing crew was flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada, to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Deigo.
When the chopper was reported overdue, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office tried to send a search helicopter. However, the aircraft was called off due to the ongoing atmospheric river. It’s unclear if the weather played any role in the missing aircraft.
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is coordinating search and rescue efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol. Officials told FOX 5 that the area they are searching is covered in snow, making it hard to access.
Fortunately, the flooding rainfall is finally slowing down across Southern California. However, dangers still lurk in the wake of the historic rainstorm. The ongoing threat of more mudslides and landslides is a major concern.
The mayor of Los Angeles has urged people not to let down their guards since hillsides are saturated. Nearly 500 mudslides have been reported since Sunday, including one in Hacienda Heights.
This is a developing news story. Refresh this page for updates.