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.

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"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.'"

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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.

Tiger Woods' famed annual golfing event, The Genesis Invitational, is being moved from Los Angeles to San Diego after the devastating wildfires damaged the original course. 

The PGA announced Friday the event will move 123 miles south to Torrey Pines Golf Course in the La Jolla neighborhood in San Diego, the site of this week's Farmers Insurance Open.

Woods says the event will be a platform to help fire victims.

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"We are grateful to the City of San Diego and Torrey Pines for hosting the 2025 Genesis Invitational, and to everyone who has reached out in support of the tournament," Woods said in a statement. "While Riviera remains the home of The Genesis Invitational, we look forward to playing on another championship caliber golf course this year and using the tournament to support those affected by the fires in the Los Angeles area."

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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan also expressed gratitude.

"Our thanks to Tiger Woods, TGR Live and Genesis for their leadership in these efforts," Monahan said.  "We are grateful to Farmers Insurance, [San Diego Mayor] Todd Gloria and the City of San Diego and the Century Club for extending the invitation to relocate The Genesis Invitational to Torrey Pines."

"Highlighting the resilience of Los Angeles and the need for continued support for the ongoing recovery efforts is what our collective teams are working towards with the playing of The Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines," Monahan added in his statement.

The Riviera Country Club, where the event was originally supposed to be played, was not destroyed by the fires. However, it is dealing with power and water issues, and the tournament is being moved out of respect to fire victims.

The Genesis Invitational is expected to return to The Riviera Country Club in 2026. 

"The devastation that is ongoing with the LA fires is such a tragedy and being from California, it hits home," Woods said in a statement shared on his social media platforms. "My heart is with those who have suffered unimaginable loss. Thank you to the incredible heroes that are the first responders helping to contain and save the community of Los Angeles."

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President Trump is taking on defiant sanctuary cities as he seeks to fulfill a vital campaign pledge to mass deport illegal immigrants while blue city leaders dig in their heels, resisting any form of assistance to federal authorities that could lead to migrants' removal. 

Tom Homan, Trump's designated border czar, has promised to unveil a series of "game-changing" executive orders that have prompted sanctuary cities to cement their statuses as safe havens for migrants.

The cities, from Chicago to San Diego, have doubled down by reaffirming local ordinances to prohibit local law enforcement from assisting federal authorities in immigration removal operations.

President Trump put illegal immigration front and center in his inaugural address on Monday, promising: "All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came." 

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Los Angeles, in November following Trump's election win, formalized policies prohibiting city resources from being used to support federal deportation efforts and further solidifying its stance as a sanctuary city. 

San Diego's board of supervisors passed a similar policy that prohibits county agencies from working with federal immigration authorities. California's history as a shelter for migrants was cemented in 2017 after former Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation making California a sanctuary state. 

During Trump's first term, he cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in law enforcement grants to sanctuary cities. The Biden administration restored the grants in 2021, Reuters reported.

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a vocal critic of the state's immigration policies, told Fox News Digital that he hopes to see "America return to the rule of law."

"I will fight to secure our border and oppose any handouts or incentives that encourage illegal immigration," he said. "We must put Americans first and uphold the integrity of our nation."

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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston made headlines after saying he would go to jail over his opposition to Trump’s mass deportation plan, sharing that he predicted a "Tiananmen Square moment" if federal immigration officials attempted to do their job.

"More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there," Johnston said in the interview with Denverite. "It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants."

But in a subsequent interview with 9News, he walked back those comments.

"Would I have taken it back if I could? Yes, I probably wouldn't have used that image," Johnston said. "That's the image I hope we can avoid. What I was trying to say is this is an outcome I hope we can avoid in this country. I think none of us want that."

But he said he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is "illegal or immoral or un-American" in the city — including the use of military force — and was then asked if he was prepared to go to jail for standing in the way of policies enacted by the administration.

"Yeah, I'm not afraid of that, and I'm also not seeking that," Johnston said. "I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people how to solve hard problems."

Denver has seen an unprecedented influx of migrants arriving in the city under former President Biden's administration, and Johnston has slashed city services to house and feed migrants.

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On Sunday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's opposition rang loud and clear when he vowed to oppose Trump's plans.

"Chicago stands strong: regardless of the circumstances, our commitment to protecting and supporting this city remains unwavering," Johnson wrote in a social media post on Sunday. "We will continue to fight for the justice and safety of all who call this place home."

Johnson's statement came after he assured the city would continue to comply with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu reiterated Boston's status as a sanctuary city following Trump's election, saying that she doesn't want migrants to "retreat into the shadows."

"The last thing we want is for people who are part of our economy, part of our school system, part of our community and the fabric of our city, to feel that all of a sudden they have to retreat into the shadows," Wu said during an interview on WCVB's On The Record.

Like many sanctuary cities, Boston passed legislation prohibiting local law enforcement from asking people about their immigration status or sharing information with ICE. The Boston Trust Act was signed into law in 2014 under Mayor Marty Walsh, and amendments were made in 2019.

"The Boston Trust Act puts strict prohibitions on local law enforcement from being pulled into becoming the enforcement arm for the whims of whatever the sort of approach of the federal immigration law might be," Wu said during an interview on WGBH. 

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has echoed the Boston mayor's sentiment, saying that the Massachusetts State Police would "absolutely not" assist in immigration enforcement. 

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The Wall Street Journal reported Friday night that Trump’s team is planning an immigration raid in Chicago to begin on Tuesday morning, citing four sources familiar with the planning. Between 100 and 200 officers will be there to carry out the operation, which will last all week, the Journal reported. 

Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan promised large-scale raids as part of Trump's crackdown on immigration.

"We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens, that’s what’s going to happen," Homan said Friday on Fox News' "Jesse Waters Primetime." "What we’re telling ICE: You’re going to go enforce the immigration law without apology. You’re going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they got a problem."

"There are going to be big raids all across the country," Homan continued. "Chicago is just one in many places. If we got 24 field offices across the country on Tuesday, you can expect ICE." 

WATCH:

While there are key sanctuary cities that are intent on dissuading Trump's policy plan, there are pockets of cities and states intent on assisting Trump.

In Colorado, Douglas County's board of commissioners approved a resolution in support of Trump’s mass deportation plan. The unanimous vote confirmed the county, which is neighboring the sanctuary city of Denver, as a "non-sanctuary county."

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"We are going to follow and adhere to federal immigration law," Douglas County Chairperson Abe Laydon told Fox News Digital. "We will continue to support the U.S. Constitution and follow federal immigration law."

"We want to empower our local law enforcement, our sheriff's office, and communicate with federal immigration officials, to get information and keep people safe in our community," he said. "The three of us, as the board of county commissioners, are going to hold the line in Douglas County and ensure that our community stays safe."

In the border state of Texas, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham offered the administration a tract of more than 1,400 acres to stage its mass deportation operation.

Her letter to Trump, obtained by Fox News Digital, says her office is "fully prepared to enter into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or the United States Border Patrol to allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation’s history."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor's offices in Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago and Denver.

Fox News' Michael Dorgan and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.