In a developing story, a US Marine Corps helicopter carrying five Marines has gone missing on its route from the Las Vegas area to the Miramar Air Station near San Diego. The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was reported “overdue” after it failed to arrive at its destination on Tuesday night. The Marines were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Search and rescue crews, including the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the Civil Air Patrol, have been deployed to search for the missing helicopter. However, their efforts have been hindered by the severe weather conditions caused by an atmospheric river storm. California has been experiencing major flooding, particularly in the southern part of the state.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office received a call for assistance early Wednesday morning and dispatched a helicopter to the search area. Unfortunately, the helicopter was unable to reach the search zone due to high winds produced by the storm. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also deployed firefighters to a location east of San Diego in the Cleveland National Forest, but nothing was found.

The US Marine Corps is coordinating search and rescue efforts with local authorities to locate the missing helicopter and the five Marines onboard. The Super Stallion helicopter was last reported flying from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The exact cause of the disappearance is still unknown.

This incident has raised concerns about the safety of military aircraft operations in adverse weather conditions. The atmospheric river storm has been wreaking havoc in California, causing widespread flooding and hazardous conditions. It remains to be seen what impact these weather conditions may have had on the missing helicopter.

Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the helicopter or the missing Marines to come forward. The search and rescue efforts are ongoing, and updates will be provided as the situation unfolds.