Emergency crews in New Hanover County are responding to a military jet that crashed off Wrightsville Beach late-Friday afternoon, according to WECT.
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A Maine Harrier jet pilot was rescued Saturday morning off the coast of North Carolina after ejecting from the aircraft during a training exercise. Sansoucie says it’s unclear whether the pilot was injured. Lt. Jerry Brewer of the sheriff’s office said that the U.S. Coast Guard would monitor the debris until the military finished its cleanup.
Coast Guard officials say they believe the aircraft was a Harrier jet. Town Manager Tim Owens confirmed the crash, saying the plane ended up in the water about a mile-and-a-half offshore.
The rescue team found the pilot miraculously fine.
“I was taken back by how good of condition was, he didn’t have a bruise, he didn’t have a cut, and we were having a nice conversation”. The pilot was also able to inflate and board into a life raft until he was picked up by a H-60 Seahawk helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 at approximately 5:28 p.m. A spokesman from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point said the pilot was from Marine Attack Squadron 542.
The incident is under investigation.
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Stay with WITN-TV and WITN.com for more on this developing story.
