Five sailors are still missing Wednesday afternoon after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed in the ocean off the coast of San Diego on Tuesday, military officials said. Rescue operations with Navy and Coast Guard assets continue to search for the men.
One sailor was rescued shortly after the Tuesday afternoon crash of the MH-60S Nighthawk helicopter and is in stable condition in a San Diego hospital, according to a statement from the Navy's Third fleet.
The statement also said five other sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, where the helicopter embarked before the crash, were injured. Two of the five were taken to shore for treatment, but the other three sailors’ injuries were minimal and stayed aboard.
The helicopter was conducting what the Navy described only as routine flight operations when it crashed, according to the Associated Press.
The cause of the crash is not yet clear, and an investigation is underway.