Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is proven on Aug. 25, 2023, in San Diego. Search groups have positioned a Marine Corps helicopter reported overdue early Wednesday in a mountainous space outdoors San Diego.

Nelvin C. Cepeda/AP

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Nelvin C. Cepeda/AP

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is proven on Aug. 25, 2023, in San Diego. Search groups have positioned a Marine Corps helicopter reported overdue early Wednesday in a mountainous space outdoors San Diego.

Nelvin C. Cepeda/AP

SAN DIEGO — A Marine Corps helicopter that had been lacking with 5 troops aboard as an historic storm continued drenching California was discovered Wednesday morning in a mountainous space outdoors San Diego.

The plane was positioned simply after 9 a.m. by civil authorities close to the mountain group of Pine Valley, a couple of 45-mile (72-kilometer) drive from San Diego however rescue crews mentioned snowy circumstances had been making entry difficult on the bottom.

They had been “using ground and aviation assets to locate the aircrew in coordination with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and multiple federal state and local agencies,” the Marine Corps mentioned in a press release.

The Marines had been flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, the place they’d been doing unit-level coaching and had been returning dwelling to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, protection officers mentioned.

It was not instantly recognized what time the helicopter left Creech nor what time they had been resulting from arrive. Waves of heavy downpours hit the realm all through the evening and snow was forecast for San Diego County mountains.

The 5 U.S. Marines had been assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, third Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar, the Marine Corps mentioned in a press release.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department was notified at 1 a.m. that the craft was overdue for arrival at Miramar and was final seen within the space of Pine Valley, a mountainous area close to the Cleveland National Forest about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of downtown San Diego, Lt. Matthew Carpenter mentioned.

The navy was coordinating search and rescue efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol, the Marine Corps mentioned.

Heavy snow falling Wednesday within the sparsely populated mountains lined in pine bushes and thick brush was making entry to the realm difficult, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, often known as Cal Fire, mentioned in a press release on X, previously often known as Twitter. The company mentioned it requested extra sources and was coordinating with the navy, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego sheriff’s division and the state Civil Air Patrol.

The Cleveland National Forest covers 720 sq. miles (1,860 sq. kilometers) and lots of components of its steep, rocky mountains have restricted trails.

The National Weather Service in San Diego known as for six to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) of snow within the mountains above 5,000 toes (1,524 meters) and gusty winds late Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon a twister warning was issued however shortly canceled with the climate service saying the storm was not able to forming a tornado.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the lacking Marines, mentioned White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who answered questions because the president flew to New York City for marketing campaign fundraisers.

“We’re watching this closely and again our thoughts are for the best,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby mentioned.

About 99 toes (30 meters) lengthy, the CH-53E Super Stallion is the most important and heaviest helicopter within the navy. It can transfer troops and tools over rugged terrain in unhealthy climate, together with at evening, based on the Marine Corps web site. It can also be nicknamed the “hurricane maker” due to the quantity of downwash generated from its three engines.

Two CH-53E helicopters had been used within the civil war-torn capital of Mogadishu, Somalia, in January 1990 to rescue American and international allies from the U.S. embassy.