Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. More details will be added as they become available.
A U.S. Navy jet crashed Wednesday morning near Shelter Island in the San Diego Bay but the crew members were able to eject and were rescued by a fishing boat, authorities said.
The two occupants of the E/A-18G Growler were first picked up by a fishing vessel called Premiere, then transferred to a nearby Customs and Border Protection vessel, said Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer Christopher Sappey.
On a live webcam of San Diego harbor traffic, someone aboard the Premier can be heard telling the Coast Guard that the crew members ejected right after takeoff.
“We’re on our way to help assist," the man called in about 10:14 a.m. “They’re in the water.”
Shortly afterward, someone from the boat added, “We have both pilots on board and safe."
Photos posted by the fishing company on its website appear to show two people dropping into the water with parachutes.
“We are relieved and grateful to have had one of our vessels in the right place at the right time,” Frank Ursitti, general manager of H&M Landing, the company that owns the boat, said in a news release. “Captain Brandon Viets and the crew of the Premier acted swiftly, and thanks to their professionalism, were able to bring these pilots to safety.”
The two men were taken to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest, where they were in stable condition, authorities said.
Leaking jet fuel from the aircraft necessitated the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality to issue a water contact closure for Lawrence Street in Point Loma, the Kellogg Beach Shoreline.
"Beach goers are advised that the ocean water may contain chemicals and may cause illness," a department-issued statement said. "Ocean waters will remain closed until sampling and field observations confirm these areas are safe for water contact."
The Coast Guard has two vessels now safeguarding the Growler wreckage in the San Diego Harbor, Sappey said.
The Growler is a two-seater jet that specializes in electronic warfare.
A similar Navy jet crashed last October during a routine training flight in Washington state, killing its two crew members. The aircraft wreckage was found in remote mountainous terrain.
