5 Marines Declared Dead After Helicopter Crash

(LibertyInsider.org) – There is unfortunate news in the case of the military helicopter that disappeared near San Diego on February 6. United States Marine Corps Major General Michael J. Borgschulte of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing has confirmed that the five crew members who were aboard the CH-53E Super Stallion tragically perished in the crash.

Details about what exactly caused the helicopter accident remain unclear at the moment. Investigators say the CH-53E suddenly disappeared at around 11:30 p.m. while flying over Pine Valley, a town north of Cleveland National Forest in California’s Cuyamaca Mountains, on a standard return-to-base flight. It crashed into the mountainous terrain a short time later.

While search and rescue teams have already located the wreckage site, officials have yet to confirm why the accident occurred. However, weather reports show that a potent atmospheric river and historic storm were passing through the region at the time, bringing heavy rains, flooding, and up to 2 feet of snow to the area that same day.

The Super Stallion was reportedly returning from Creech Air Force Base to its home at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego that evening. Satellite images confirm that the violent weather pattern was already well underway by the time it lost contact with the ground.

All five marines killed in California helicopter crash identified https://t.co/ulEzUzGr8V pic.twitter.com/jSydk3Zezw

— New York Post (@nypost) February 9, 2024

Recovery efforts are currently focused on retrieving the remains and the debris from the crash, a process that may eventually provide more clarity on the accident. Colonel James C. Ford, also of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said the military has stationed officers at the site to honor and guard the fallen round-the-clock until they are brought home.

“Their fellow Marines have remained by their side as Marines do and took shifts throughout the night at the mishap site, keeping watch over our fallen,” Ford stated, according to a report from The Washington Post. “Our fellow Marines were and continue to be guarded by their brothers and sisters.”

On February 9, the names of the individuals who died were announced. They include Sgt. Alec Langen, Capt. Benjamin Moulton, Capt. Miguel Nava, Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, and Capt. Jack Casey.