Oceanside

Two men were plucked from the Pacific Ocean on Sunday after their single-engine plane ran out of gas and ditched about 8 miles southwest of Oceanside, the Coast Guard reported.

The men were taken to Tri-City Medical Center, where a hospital spokeswoman said they were treated for minor injuries. They asked hospital officials not to release their identities.

According to the Coast Guard, an emergency call at 5:07 p.m. alerted rescue crews that the plane was low on fuel. Five minutes later, the pilot radioed that he was going into the water. A Coast Guard helicopter rescued them at 5:45 p.m.

Coast Guard Lt. Bryan Seale said the two men were bobbing in the water when the rescue helicopter arrived. The pilot of another plane who witnessed the accident dropped survival vests to the downed flyers and circled above until help arrived, said Seale.

“They are very lucky to be alive. It’s amazing they were able to ditch the aircraft and survive,” Seale said.

The plane sank.