A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon off the coast of San Diego, California, prompting search and rescue operations by sea and air, according to the U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet.
“An MH-60S helicopter embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) crashed into the sea while conducting routine flight operations approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego at 4:30 p.m. PST, Aug. 31,” the fleet’s commander said in a statement.
The statement did not reveal how many people were on board and whether there were any casualties, saying “more information will be posted as it becomes available.”
However, local ABC news channel reported later that a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said preliminary information indicated that one person had been rescued and five people were still unaccounted for.
The Navy is expected to release a statement later tonight with further details, the report said.