SAN DIEGO—
A pilot was rescued from the San Diego Bay after his helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from a private yacht Sunday evening, according to officials.San Diego Harbor Police said the black helicopter crashed into the water underneath the Coronado Bridge at about 6:30 p.m. Witnesses said the pilot apparently tried to make an emergency landing about mid-span on the deck of the bridge before losing control of the helicopter, which plummeted into the bay.
The 69-year-old pilot, who was the only person on the aircraft, was rescued by a crew within minutes of the crash.
"He was trying to crawl out of the wreckage," said Reggie Curry with Vessel Assist. "He was real dazed and was incoherent. It was all he could do to get out of the wreckage."
He was taken to a local hospital with back pain, cuts, and bruises.
According to officials, the helicopter took off from the "Leight Star" charter yacht, which is docked in San Diego Bay near the Convention Center. The pilot told police the aircraft had mechanical problems just after he took off from a nearby yacht.
"He was mad at himself -- why, I don't know," said Officer Tim Wright with San Diego Harbor Police. "I guess because the helicopter had quit and came crashing down, but he was upset about that, and he was upset about us having to come get him."
The badly damaged helicopter was pulled from the bay by a crane barge.
Harbor Police and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
