US Marines disembark the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion, a heavy-lift helicopter, during combined airborne and maritime infiltration drills with South Korean and British troops in Pohang, South Korea, in March 2023. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE
Feb. 7 (UPI) — Rescuers found a military helicopter that had been missing since before dawn on Wednesday and the search is on for the five-member crew.
The helicopter, a Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion, was found about 40 miles from San Diego in Pine Valley at about 9 a.m., according to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Marine Corps has been leading the search and rescue effort after it was reported overdue about 1:40 a.m.
Officials did not say what condition the helicopter was in when it was found.
A report by CNN cited Cal Fire and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in saying the search was taking place in muddy terrain that is being affected by a mix of rain and snow.
The crew members on the flight were part of the Marine Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16.
The helicopter was traveling from the Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas to the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Deigo went it went missing, Marine Corps officials said. Rescue crews initially searched an area of the Cleveland National Forest east of San Diego.
The search started before dawn when the California Department of Forestry and Fire received a call at about 2:20 a.m. saying that the flight was overdue to San Diego, according to CBS News.
The San Diego Sheriff’s Department said it sent its helicopter out to search after receiving a call about 1:50 a.m. Officials said it could not immediately reach the search area because of a lingering storm system in the area.
The department said it eventually sent off-road vehicles to probe rough terrain.
The search for the crew continued Wednesday afternoon.