SAN DIEGO — A search and rescue operation continued Wednesday for five sailors missing after their helicopter crashed on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and fell into the sea, the Navy said in a statement.
One helicopter crew member was rescued from the water Tuesday and is in stable condition ashore, the Navy said. Five sailors aboard the Abraham Lincoln were also injured in the crash of the MH-60S helicopter. Two of them were also transported ashore for medical treatment. Three of the sailors suffered minimal injuries and remain aboard the ship about 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego.
The ship was conducting routine operations when the crash occurred around 4:30 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, the Navy said.
The helicopter is attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, based at Naval Air Station North Island. The Abraham Lincoln also is based there.
Coast Guard and Navy vessels and aircraft are searching for the crew members, the Navy said. Further details about the circumstances of the crash were not available Wednesday and it remains under investigation, the Navy said.
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