Three Australian navy crew were rescued off the Philippine Sea after their helicopter crashed into the country's waters Wednesday night, Oct. 13, local and Australian authorities said Thursday.

Three crewmembers of an #AusNavy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter are safe after ditching their helicopter in the Philippine Sea during a routine flight overnight.

More information : https://t.co/IeUyHHm0Yc #YourADF pic.twitter.com/J59WfS73Rp
— Royal Australian Navy (@Australian_Navy) October 14, 2021

All three members of the Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter "are safe after ditching their helicopter in the Philippine Sea during a routine flight overnight," the Australian Department of Defence said in a statement.

It was disclosed that the aircraft was operating from HMAS Brisbane as part of a Regional Presence Deployment with HMAS Warramunga, when the crew conducted an emergency landing in the water.

Boats were deployed about 20 minutes later to rescue the crew, who sustained minor injuries.

According to Rear Admiral Mark Hammond, commander of the Australian fleet, ships were also deployed to search the area for any debris, which will aid in determining the cause of the incident.

“With the aircrew safe, investigating the circumstances that led to the helicopter ditching is the priority at the moment,” Hammond said. “As a precaution, we have temporarily paused flying operations of the MH-60R Seahawk fleet.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, said it is coordinating with its Australian counterparts on the matter and has expressed readiness to provide assistance.

#ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY MH-60R SEAHAWK

Australian navy crew rescued off PH sea after helicopter crash