Pilot, dog swim to shore after ocean landing off Southern California coast

A pilot and their dog are lucky to be alive after a plane landed in ocean waters just off the coast of Southern California, forcing them to swim to shore Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed to Nexstar's KTLA.  

(KTLA) – A pilot and their dog are lucky to be alive after a plane landed in ocean waters just off the coast of Southern California, forcing them to swim to shore Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed to Nexstar's KTLA.  

Calls about the plane landing in the Pacific Ocean in the Rancho Palos Verdes area came in at around 5:20 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. 

Details were limited, and it’s unclear what type of aircraft was involved and what exactly forced the pilot to land in the water.  

An air rescue team with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was deployed, but the pilot and the dog were reportedly able to swim to the shore, where they were met by deputies with LASD’s Lomita Station, authorities said.  

Their conditions were not immediately available.  

This incident comes less than 24 hours after a plane crash in San Bernardino County on Saturday night claimed the life of a man whose body could not be recovered Sunday due to inclement weather that hampered search and rescue crews.

As for the crash off the coast of Rancho Palos Verdes, officials with L.A. County Fire said they were coordinating with the United States Coast Guard on a plan to recover the aircraft.