Florida:Four Navy Aviators Rescued After Plane Crashes in Ocean

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Dec 7, 2000 - 06:39 AM

Four Navy Aviators Rescued After Plane Crashes in Ocean The Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - The first time was the charm for Petty Officer Second Class Todd Simpson. Simpson made his first career rescue as a Navy-trained swimmer Wednesday, plucking four downed Jacksonville Naval Air Station aviators from the ocean after their S-3B Viking went down 46 miles off Florida's coast.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, Navy officials said Wednesday. No further details were provided.

The Viking's pilot suffered second-degree burns on his face, neck and shoulder when he ejected from the twin-jet airplane, said Cmdr. Roxie Merritt, spokeswoman for the Navy's Atlantic air force. The other three crewmen sustained minor injuries, and none of the injuries are considered life-threatening, Merritt said.

The aviators' names were not immediately released, and all four were listed in stable condition late Wednesday.

The downed Viking made a distress call, which the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier picked up at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday during a training mission.

An SH-60F Seahawk helicopter unit assigned to Jacksonville NAS took off from the Eisenhower and found the downed plane.

That's when Simpson was dropped from the helicopter. He pulled the four fliers from the water in a 40-minute rescue.

As is Navy tradition, Simpson was offered the name tags of each crew member he saved.

"The fourth name tag blew away," Simpson said in a Navy release. "I'll still probably frame the other three."

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGAQZLTDGGC.html

-- Carl Jenkins (somewherepress@aol.com), December 07, 2000


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