A U.S Navy Helicopter Has Crashed Near San Diego

A recent unfortunate event has left the people of the U.S sad and despondent. It was a tragic accident where the helicopter belonging to the US Navy crashed. The accident occurred at the coast of San Diego. It was reported by the U.S. Third Fleet that the US Navy helicopter crashed 60 miles (96 km) off the San Diego coast during its routine operations. Searching and rescuing parties are active and working to help.

This tragic accident took place at 4:30 pm PST on Aug 31st, when the MH-60S helicopter, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), was conducting routine operations. There were 6 people in the vehicle when the crash happened.

The MH-60S is one of the Sikorsky S-70s. It was repurposed to be used in naval defense operations. It comprises folding rotors and a hinged tail, so it does not take a lot of space on a naval ship. When At sea, the aircraft works to combat support, search and rescue operations, medical evacuation, and airborne mine countermeasures.

So far, only one person has been rescued. The Navy and the Coast Guard are working in collaboration for the rescue mission. Rescue helicopters and other airborne vehicles are being used to detect any signs of the survivors. The news is being widely reported by CNN.

Earlier, other incidents like this have occurred. In 2009, an HH-60 helicopter with five crew members took off from USS Nimitz crashed off the San Diego coast. Moreover, in another accident in 2007, all five crew members on board were killed.

The search and rescue operations use the Survivability Model that considers factors like air temperature, water temperature, clothes worn, access to floating devices, height, and weight of the individuals, etc. to gauge how long a person might be able to survive in the sea. People are awaiting news.