[ad_1]
Five Marines missing more than 24 hours after their helicopter crashed during a training flight were confirmed dead, the U.S. Marine Corps said Thursday.
The Marines had been reported missing when their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was “reported late” to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Tuesday night. The helicopter left Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas and was headed to Miramar in the San Diego area.
Sailors prepare to shoehorn and chain a CH-53E Super Stallion during flight operations aboard the amphibious transport ship USS San Antonio in this U.S. Navy file photo.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Terah Mollise/US Navy, FILES
A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165 lands on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu in a U.S. Navy file photo.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Sarah Bitter/US Navy, ARCHIVES
The Marines launched a search and requested assistance from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol.
The sheriff’s department said it received a call at 1:50 a.m. and sent its own helicopter to search, but the helicopter was unable to reach the area due to the atmospheric river storm hitting the region. The sheriff’s department said it then sent all-terrain vehicles to navigate the rugged terrain.
The Marines said the helicopter was discovered at 9:08 a.m. Wednesday.
Efforts are underway to recover the remains of the five victims, the Marines said Thursday, and an investigation is underway.
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officers are participating in a search and rescue operation for five missing Marines who were aboard a missing military helicopter that was found in Southern California on February 7, 2024.
Maria Villalobos/ABC News
President Joe Biden said he is “heartbroken” and noted that the training mission was “routine.”
“As the Department of Defense continues to evaluate what happened, we extend our deepest condolences to their families, their squadron, and the United States Marine Corps as we mourn the loss of five of our nation’s greatest warriors,” Biden said in a statement. . “I am deeply grateful to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol and other federal, state and local agencies for their professionalism and dedication in supporting search efforts and recovery.
“My prayers are with these brave Marines and their families, loved ones and teammates,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. “As the Marine Corps investigates this deadly accident, it is another reminder that across our nation and around the world our selfless service members risk their lives every day to keep our country safe.”
ABC News’ Fritz Farrow and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link