Coast Guard rescues downed pilot near Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (KTRK) -- The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a pilot who crashed Tuesday afternoon near Baffin Bay.

The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew found the pilot's crashed civilian Cessna aircraft south of Corpus Christi around 2:30pm after the pilot made a mayday call.

A rescue swimmer was lowered to assess the pilot's condition. He was then taken to the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi where an ambulance was waiting.

"I am happy we were able to help a fellow pilot in distress," said Lt. Dylan Sapia, the Coast Guard helicopter pilot. "Any aviation mishap hits close to home and we are grateful we could render assistance."

The pilot of the crashed plane is in stable condition.