6 sailors injured, 5 missing after Navy helicopter crashes off San Diego coast

SAN DIEGO — Six Navy sailors were injured, and five crewmembers remain missing after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed off the coast of San Diego on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the officials, the crash happened 4:30 p.m. local time, roughly 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego.

The MH-60S helicopter “embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) crashed into the sea while conducting routine flight operations,” according to the Navy. The Navy said Wednesday that the helicopter was “operating on deck before crashing into the sea.”

One sailor rescued after the crash by aircraft was taken to shore and is in stable condition.

Five other sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln were injured and are also in stable condition. Two of those five sailors were taken to shore for treatment, while the other three sailors remained on the ship, the Navy said.

Search efforts involving the Navy and U.S. Coast Guard continued Wednesday for five more crew members aboard the aircraft, the Navy clarified later Wednesday morning.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the crash.

This story was originally published by Zac Self on Scripps station KGTV in San Diego.

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