A US Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter crashed into the waters of San Diego Bay on Thursday night during a routine training exercise, as confirmed by Navy Cmdr. Beth Teach, a spokesman for the Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet. Fortunately, all six crew members on board survived the incident.
The crash occurred around 6:40 pm, and due to the nature of the training exercise, a safety boat was on location. With the assistance of Federal Fire, all six crew members were able to promptly evacuate and were moved ashore safely. Currently, all personnel are undergoing medical evaluation, but according to Navy officials, none of them suffered serious or potentially fatal injuries.
Emergency personnel from the Fire Department and the US Coast Guard quickly responded to the crash scene at Coronado, located across an inlet from San Diego. The severity of the crew members’ injuries is not immediately known, and further medical assessments are ongoing.
The MH-60R Seahawk involved in the incident belonged to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41, stationed at Naval Air Station North Island on the Coronado peninsula. The squadron’s primary mission is to train air personnel on the MH-60R Seahawk, a versatile helicopter used by the Navy for anti-submarine warfare, as well as search and rescue and reconnaissance missions.
As investigations into the cause of the crash continue, details surrounding the circumstances leading to the incident remain under scrutiny. The Navy is working to determine the factors that contributed to the helicopter’s crash during the routine training exercise in Southern California.
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