A marine helicopter that went missing Tuesday night has been found near San Diego and the beach still continues for its passengers. The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was “reported overdue” to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, CA Tuesday night. The helicopter departed from Creech Air Force Base on Tuesday night near Las Vegas. Radar data indicates a heavy band of precipitation swept through the area between 10PM and 4AM, with rain at lower elevations and snow at higher elevations.

The aircraft was located just after 9AM by civil authorities near the mountain community of Pine Valley, about a 45-mile (72-kilometer) drive from San Diego but rescue crews said snowy conditions were making access challenging on the ground.

Pine Valley is located near The Cleveland National Forest, which covers 720 square miles (1,860 square kilometers) and many parts of its rocky terrain have limited trails.

The CH-53E Super Stallion is assigned to the “Flying Tigers” of Marine Heavy Helicopter (HMH) Squadron 361, a squadron that has assumed the Alert Contingency Marine air-ground task force (ACM) status since 1997 due to its involvement in Operation United Shield during the Somali Civil War.

“The aircraft was located by civil authorities in Pine Valley, California, at 9:08 AM PST on February 7, 2024. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is managing search and rescue efforts through the Wing Operations Command Center and using ground and aviation assets to locate the aircrew in coordination with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and multiple federal, state and local agencies,” reads a Wednesday afternoon statement.

Cleveland National Forest’s most recent statement on X states, “We advise postponing your Forest adventure until after the storm. It’s snowing in some areas across the Forest, making driving difficult and requiring chains.”

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, said it requested additional resources and was coordinating with the military, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego Sheriff’s department, and the state Civil Air Patrol.

Update: The five U.S. Marines who were aboard the military helicopter that went down in the mountains near San Diego were found dead, authorities said on Thursday. The aircraft wing said efforts to recover the remains of the Marines and equipment has begun and an investigation is underway. The names of the Marines will not be released until 24 hours after all next-of-kin notifications are completed. It’s unclear where their bodies were found.

The five men have been identified as Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21; Sgt. Alec Langen, 23; Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27; Capt. Jack Casey, 26, and Capt. Miguel Nava, 28.