The U.S. Navy continues working to recover a military jet that crashed into San Diego Bay on last Wednesday.
At 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 12, the EA-18G Growler, which is based on Whidbey Island, Washington, crashed while attempting to land on Coronado. Two Naval aviators ejected into San Diego Bay before the plane crashed into the water near Shelter Island.
Members of a mobile diving and salvage company began operations soon after, securing a barge and crane near the crash site, according to a statement from the U.S. Navy, and on Monday, Navy divers recovered the first pieces of the aircraft, the military said in a statement released Monday morning.
The U.S. Coast Guard has established a temporary safety zone in the vicinity of Naval Base Point Loma and Shelter Island in San Diego Bay. The zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with the crash, according to the U.S. Navy.
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People in the neighboring community and those visiting the site are thankful everyone is safe.
“I could just say God saved a lot of people over here, because if it were to hit the fuel tankers, a lot of stuff wouldn’t be here right now,” Giovanni Anjilow said.
The Navy is urging people who may come across debris from the crash to not approach or touch it. Insteady, the public is being told to report the sighting to nbc_debris@us.navy.mil.
