Search underway for missing military helicopter with 5 onboard in East County

Multiple agencies along with the U.S. Marine Corps are searching for a helicopter reported missing with five Marines onboard in East County Wednesday.

The five marines were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. They were flying to a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base in Clark County, Nevada, to MCAS Miramar when it was reported overdue Tuesday, MCAS Miramar confirmed to NBC 7.

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The San Diego County Sheriff’s confirmed they were requested to help search for the missing helicopter near Interstate 8 and Kitchen Creek Road in East County.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is coordinating search and rescue with SDSO, Cal Fire San Diego, Border Patrol and Civil Air Patrol.

The search comes as San Diego is experiencing a winter storm that has produced heavy rain since Tuesday night and has brought several inches of snow to our local mountains.

The CH-53E Super Stallion is the heavy-lift helicopter used by Marines around the world. It is capable of rapidly transporting troops and equipment from ship-to-shore: launching amphibious assaults, facilitating logistics and maintenance, providing sustainment and supplies, and equipping the warfighter for mission success, according to the Navy.

Photo by Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images

No other information was available.

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About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.