SAN DIEGO, CA – In a tragic turn of events, five Marines lost their lives when their helicopter crashed during a routine training mission, as confirmed by the U.S. Marine Corps on Thursday. The Marines were reported missing after their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter failed to return to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Tuesday night. The helicopter had embarked on its journey from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas, heading towards Miramar in San Diego.
Upon receiving the overdue report, the Marine Corps launched a search operation, seeking help from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and Civil Air Patrol. The Sheriff’s department received a distress call around 1:50 a.m. and immediately dispatched a helicopter to the suspected crash site. However, due to a severe atmospheric river storm in the region, the helicopter was unable to reach the location. Consequently, the department deployed off-road vehicles to traverse the difficult terrain.
The missing helicopter was eventually discovered at 9:08 a.m. on Wednesday. Recovery efforts for the five Marines’ remains are ongoing, and an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
President Joe Biden expressed his heartbreak over the incident, acknowledging that the training mission was routine. He extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, their squadron, and the U.S. Marine Corps. He also expressed appreciation 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 relentless efforts in the search and recovery operations.
Maj. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte also paid his respects to the fallen Marines, expressing gratitude for their service and assuring support and care for their families in this time of grief.