The Huntington Beach Police Department has confirmed that the crashed aircraft is a police helicopter. Police have confirmed that both pilots have been rescued and transported to a trauma center. Multiple eyewitnesses believe that a third individual was on board the aircraft and remains trapped in the submerged helicopter. Those reports have not been confirmed by the police.
Reports of the crash first started to come in at 6:45 p.m., local time. The aircraft was reportedly spinning out of control as it crashed into the water. Witnesses believe the pilot steered the helicopter into the water to avoid collateral damage.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Orange County Fire and Newport Beach Life Guards were the first to respond to the scene.
The crash comes hours after another helicopter crash at a crowded beach in Miami, Florida, that sent two people to the hospital. Three individuals were on the aircraft and are all in stable condition.
The crash in Florida has prompted an investigation from US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after the Robinson R44 helicopter went down under "unknown circumstances." The model has been linked with at least 42 fatal crashes in the US between 2006 and 2016.