Firefighting helicopters suck water from San Diego River!
One of the San Diego Fire Department’s two firefighting helicopters fills its water tank using a hose lowered into the San Diego River in Mission Valley.
I was lucky late this afternoon to capture some cool action pics! After work, I was eating at Jack in the Box in Hazard Center when I saw a helicopter swooping rapidly down toward the nearby San Diego River. A hose was dangling underneath, so I knew it was a firefighting helicopter arriving to suck up some river water!
I hurried down to the center of the action to watch and snap a few photographs. It’s the first time I’ve witnessed this activity up close.
Someone on the river path said there was a fire to the northwest in Linda Vista, but I couldn’t see any smoke. I watched five different instances of helicopters filling their tanks, then the action ceased. The fire must’ve been quickly contained.
A wildfire must be nearby because here comes a firefighting helicopter swooping rapidly down over Mission Center Road and the raised trolley tracks toward a wide spot in the San Diego River!The chopper slows and carefully makes its descent in order to suck water into its belly tank to eventually drop on a wildfire.The air from the rotor blades causes spray to fly up from the surface of the San Diego River. Several joggers and walkers on the nearby paths stopped to watch.The long hose quickly sucks a good quantity of water from the river. The pilot is highly skilled, hovering the helicopter close above the water, steady as a rock.A couple minutes later one of the San Diego County Sheriff’s three firefighting helicopters arrives! You can see the external belly tank underneath the chopper’s body!This firefighting helicopter got so close to the water I had to hold my breath. These brave hero pilots are amazingly precise.ASTREA is the Sheriff’s Department aviation unit. Up their aircraft goes, quickly swinging overhead and heading to the northwest. Someone thought there was a fire in Linda Vista, but I didn’t see smoke from the bottom of Mission Valley in any direction.A San Diego Fire Department chopper has sucked up more water from the river and flies in a big hurry again toward the northwest! The fire must have been small, because the action above the river didn’t seem to last for more than 15 minutes.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! Sometimes I randomly stumble upon fascinating, newsworthy events! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Downtown San Diego has been my home for many years. My online activities reflect my love for writing, blogging, walking and photography.
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9 thoughts on “Firefighting helicopters suck water from San Diego River!”
Amazing! Too bad for whoever was battling the fire, but lucky you for witnessing something most of us won’t get to see. Firefighters and the helicopter pilots are true heroes!
Several years ago there was a small wildfire near Hillcrest and I watched two firefighting helicopters making numerous runs about a mile away, but I had never seen one filling up with water right up close. It was pretty impressive.
Cool San Diego Sights! 
Amazing! Too bad for whoever was battling the fire, but lucky you for witnessing something most of us won’t get to see. Firefighters and the helicopter pilots are true heroes!
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It looked pretty dangerous to me! Those pilots must have nerves of steel!
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Wow, never seen a helicopter do that before, awesome!
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Several years ago there was a small wildfire near Hillcrest and I watched two firefighting helicopters making numerous runs about a mile away, but I had never seen one filling up with water right up close. It was pretty impressive.
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I bet, always kinda wondered how they loaded up with water, must’ve been great to see it up close like that. What skilful pilots they must be.
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great catch, would have loved being there… thanks.. really enjoyed this one
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They fly in with large buckets to the lake just above our house to fight forest fires in our area. –Curt
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I’ve only seen that on the news. Seems like it would be especially difficult, filling a huge bucket then flying along with it dangling!
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