SAN DIEGO.- Authorities confirmed Thursday that all five Marines who were flying in a helicopter that crashed in the mountains outside San Diego have died.
The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter had disappeared Tuesday afternoon while returning to Miramar Air Force Base in San Diego after a training mission at Creech Air Force Base northwest of Las Vegas.
“It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I announce the passing of five outstanding Marines from the 3rd Marine Air Squadron and the ‘Flying Tigers,’” Maj. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte, the unit’s commander, said in a statement.
The names of the Marines were not immediately released.
“To the families of our fallen Marines we send our deepest condolences and are committed to ensuring support and care during this incredibly difficult period,” Borgshulte said. “While we understand the risks inherent in military service, the loss of life is always painful.”
Recovery efforts are being carried out on the remains and the causes of the fall are being investigated, according to the statement.
The helicopter was found Wednesday morning near the town of Pine Valley, about an hour’s drive from San Diego. Civil authorities searching for him by land and air located him shortly after 9 a.m. on Wednesday. The large accumulation of snow prevented us from reaching the remains during the night.
The last known contact with the helicopter was on Tuesday around 11:20 p.m., Mike Cornette of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told CBS News. That location was based on a radar signal recorded by firefighters.
The helicopter, designed to fly in difficult conditions, disappeared as California was hit by snow and rain from a storm of historic magnitude, which continued Wednesday night.
Source: With information from AP
