Search and rescue teams are on the hunt for a Marine Corps helicopter that went missing early Wednesday morning while carrying five troops. The helicopter was last seen near Kitchen Creek Road, southeast of Pine Valley, California.
The aircraft, a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, was flying from the Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. Troops were completing unit-level training and had planned to return to the Miramar Air Station in San Diego.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department was notified shortly after 1 a.m. that the aircraft was overdue for arrival. Officials initially planned to send its own helicopter to conduct a search, but cloud cover prevented the Department from being able to do so in the region, a spokesperson from the Sheriff’s Department told TIME. The National Weather Service of San Diego previously reported heavy downpours in the area, with possibilities of hail.
The military is currently working with California firefighters, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and CA. Civil Air Patrol to assist with the search efforts. The snow-covered area is making it difficult to access the area, according to a Cal Fire tweet.
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