Officials Confirm Death Of Five Marines After Helicopter Goes Missing

On Thursday, officials confirmed that the five U.S. Marines who disappeared while flying a helicopter during a training mission earlier this week had tragically died in a crash.

According to One America News (OAN), the deceased Marines were identified as “Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21, of Olathe, Kansas, a CH-53E helicopter crew chief; Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, of Chandler, Arizona, a CH-53E helicopter crew chief; Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, of Emmett, Idaho, a CH-53E helicopter pilot; Capt. Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire, a CH-53E helicopter pilot; and Capt. Miguel Nava, 28, of Traverse City, Michigan, a CH-53E helicopter pilot.”

The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter went missing on Tuesday while transporting the five Marines from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. The search and rescue mission began after the chopper was reported “overdue.”

First responders from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Civil Air Patrol searched for the crew for hours on Wednesday, ultimately discovering the downed helicopter in a snowy mountainous region on Wednesday evening, according to the New York Times. However, the five Marines were not reported found until Thursday morning.

Maj. Gen. Borgschulte, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Commanding General, released a statement about the tragedy.

“It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I share the loss of five outstanding Marines from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the ‘Flying Tigers’ while conducting a training flight last night,” the statement read.

“These pilots and crew members were serving a calling greater than self and were proud to do so. We will forever be grateful for their call to duty and selfless service,” the statement continued. “To the families of our fallen Marines, we send our deepest condolences and commit to ensuring your support and care during this incredibly difficult time.”

President Joe Biden also released a statement following confirmation of the Marines’ deaths, which read: “Jill and I are heartbroken at the loss of five U.S. Marines, whose aircraft crashed while flying from Nevada to California during a routine training mission. As the Department of Defense continues to assess what occurred, we extend our deepest condolences to their families, their squadron, and the U.S. Marine Corps as we grieve the loss of five of our nation’s finest warriors.”

According to the San Diego Sheriff’s Office, the search and rescue operation was initially postponed due to an “atmospheric river” storm affecting the region. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, though it was confirmed that the helicopter encountered the bad weather before it was last heard from at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday.