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Fishing boat captain who rescued Navy pilots after jet crash describes surreal moment: 'What we see in movies'
A fishing charter boat captain who rescued two parachuting Navy pilots after witnessing their unmanned fighter jet plummet into San Diego Bay described what he saw as something from a movie.
The U.S. Navy electronic-warfare aircraft, a Boeing EA-18G Growler, crashed into San Diego Bay near Naval Air Station North Island just after 10:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Capt. Brandon Viets of Premier Sportfishing had 12 people on board his boat for recreational fishing nearby on what he called a "normal day," when everything suddenly went south.
"Normally we hear jets taking off, because North Island is right there next to us, less than a half mile away," Viets told Fox News Digital.
However, on Wednesday's trip, he said, a nearby jet was louder than usual, capturing his attention.
"We were cruising out, and when I looked back, I saw a jet at almost eye level, about a few hundred yards off the back of the boat," he said. "I looked to the right of that jet, and I saw two parachutes with two guys falling down."
Viets described the surreal feeling of watching the fighter jet flying, not knowing if anyone was onboard piloting it.
"At that point, I'm like, ‘Holy moly,’" he said. "Like, this is what we see in movies."
Without hesitation, Viets took to the PA system to notify the crew.
"I was telling them, 'Hey, we're going. We've got to go help,'" he said. "'We don't know if they are injured or not or if there are people in the water, and we need to get them out of there.'"
The crew turned the boat around and sped toward the pilots.
Viets said the boat was going as fast as the engine allowed, and they were soon next to the two soaked service members.
The plane was still in the air.
"As soon as I pulled up to them, I was yelling to them, just to make sure they were OK," he said. "Then I heard this loud noise, boom, and [the jet] hit the water less than an eighth of a mile away from us."
The military aircraft crashed on the other side of the channel, Viets said.
He described a "plume" of sand, muck and water, at least 80 feet high, shooting up from the bay.
Viets' crew retrieved all the boat's safety gear, including safety ladders, and positioned the boat near the pilots in the water.
Both pilots were pulled from the water and were coherent, according to Viets.
"I didn't ask anything about what happened or the plane. I was just worried about them," he said. "I asked about how they were, and their composure was pretty good for what just happened. They were pretty calm and collected about it, but you could still see a lot of [things] going on in their brains."
Crew members instructed the pilots to sit down and later were met by the Coast Guard.
A Navy vessel then picked the pilots up and took them to a nearby dock, Viets said. The fishing boat joined and stayed with the authorities for about 45 minutes.
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The Coast Guard San Diego Office confirmed the service members were then transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Operations.
"Then the Coast Guard said, ‘OK, you guys are good to go,'" Viets said. "We went fishing after that and caught a few fish for a couple of hours."
Both pilots were taken to a hospital and were reportedly in stable condition, according to the Coast Guard.
Viets said the crew assisted a few small private boats in the past that sank, but Wednesday's incident was unique.
"We have assisted smaller vessels, helping someone get off their boat or if they need a pump or something small like that, but nothing involving an aircraft that crashed — or pilots with parachutes in the water," he said. "Nothing like that."
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He added it took a while for the gravity of the day's events to sink in.
"It took me a little while to take it in and just to think, 'I'm glad that plane landed somewhere where it didn't hurt anyone,'" Viets said. "I'm still thinking, ‘Luckily, it landed somewhere safe, not on land, and those two pilots seem to be OK.’"
The cause of the crash has not yet been released by Naval Base Coronado’s Emergency Operations Center, which is investigating.
However, H&M Landing, a fishing company, provided a statement to Fox News Digital claiming the aircraft experienced a "mechanical failure."
A Navy official told Fox News Digital it is unclear if a distress signal was sent out prior to the crash, and the pilots have not been publicly identified.
As of Thursday, the Navy is continuing efforts to safely remove the aircraft from the bay as quickly as possible, while minimizing environmental impact, according to a statement. Weather conditions may delay the timeline.
In a statement Thursday, the Naval Air Forces said it is leading efforts to assess and coordinate the jet's retrieval, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One is the tactical commander for salvage operations.
"Some pieces of debris may resemble weapons or classified components and may present a hazard if handled," it said in the statement.
The public is strongly advised not to approach, touch or collect any debris that may wash ashore. They are also asked to remain clear of the area and not interfere with the recovery.
The wreck came after a recent string of fatal plane crashes across the country.
An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with a commercial passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Jan. 29, killing 67 people.
In the following days, plane crashes in Pennsylvania and Alaska claimed the lives of 17 people.
Most recently, a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil was involved in a fatal crash Monday at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona.
