Pilot is wheeled from scene of ultralight crash near Mission Bay.
Pilot is wheeled from scene of ultralight crash near Mission Bay. Image via OnScene.TV

A recreational flier escaped serious injury Tuesday when the ultralight aircraft he was piloting crashed into a waterway alongside Mission Bay.

The small plane went down into Rose Creek for unknown reasons about 11 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Nearby boaters helped get the pilot out of the water and took him to a dock off the 2600 block of North Mission Bay Drive, near De Anza Cove, said SDFRD spokeswoman Monica Munoz.

OnScene.TV quoted a witness as saying the pilot hit the water at over 30 mph.

Glider hit the channel near Mission Bay at more than 30 mph, said a witness.
Glider hit the channel near Mission Bay at more than 30 mph, said a witness. Image via OnScene.TV

Alex Munoz, a former Navy SEAL, told OnScene.TV that he and some friends saw what they called a paraglider crash and jumped into shallow channel to released him from tangled lines.

Lifeguards examined the man at the scene, after which medics took him to Scripps Memorial Hospital for a non-emergency evaluation. His name was not released.

— City News Service contributed to this report.