Small plane crashes into ocean in Huntington Beach

Pilot who crashed plane gets immediate help because of nearby lifeguard competition

The pilot who crashed a small plane got immediate help on the scene thanks to a group of junior lifeguards participating in a nearby competition.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - A pilot was pulled to safety after a small plane crashed into the waters off Huntington Beach Friday afternoon.

The Cessna aircraft crashed around 1:30 p.m. south of Beach Blvd.

The pilot was pulled from the plane with little to no injuries. FOX 11's Travis Rice reports from the scene that the pilot was alert and sitting upright as emergency crew members checked on him.

Video of the incident, which was posted online, shows the plane landing nose first into the water. Lifeguards quickly ran into the water to help.

According to Huntington Beach Fire Department, the plane was used to carry a banner over the beach. Video from SkyFOX showed several people carrying a long banner out of the water.

Small plane crashes into waters off Huntington Beach

Nobody in the ocean was struck by the aircraft, which came down in the midst of the California Surf Lifesaving JG championship competition. Several of the junior lifeguards quickly ran into the water to help pull the pilot to safety.

It is unknown what caused the crash.