The Navy has confirmed that two pilots were aboard the Boeing EA-18G Growler and that both were successfully rescued. Local San Diego Fire Department officials reported that the incident occurred near Shelter Island shortly after 10:16 a.m. local time. The Coast Guard in San Diego later stated that a fishing vessel promptly rescued the pilots before handing them over to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Operations.
Both airmen were transported to a nearby hospital, where they remain in stable condition, according to Coast Guard reports. A Navy spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it is still unknown whether a distress signal was transmitted prior to the incident, and the pilots have yet to be identified. Eyewitnesses at the scene observed the fighter jet taking off from the runway before crashing into the water, as reported by local media. Emergency responders swiftly deployed a team of 60 personnel—including fire trucks, a foam truck, multiple engines, a helicopter, boats, and a lifeguard river team—to the scene. The Coast Guard noted that the pilots were in the water for roughly one minute, and the wreckage continues to remain afloat.
Boeing describes the EA-18G Growler as a state-of-the-art airborne electronic attack platform that provides tactical jamming and electronic protection to U.S. military forces and allied operations around the globe. The Navy estimates the cost of this advanced fighter jet at approximately $67 million.
This incident comes on the heels of several recent aviation tragedies across the nation. Earlier, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with a commercial airliner near Reagan National Airport on January 29, resulting in 67 fatalities. Shortly thereafter, a medical evacuation plane—transporting a young girl who had just received critical treatment—crashed near Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, claiming the lives of all six passengers and one person on the ground. Most recently, a fatal crash at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona involved a private jet owned by Vince Neil, the lead singer of Mötley Crüe.