Plane carrying 143 slides off runway into river in Jacksonville

A chartered jet carrying 143 people from the U.S. military base in Cuba tried to land in a thunderstorm in north Florida and ended up in the river next to Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Foreign media reported everyone on board emerged without critical injuries, climbing onto the wings to be rescued.

The Boeing 737 arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with 136 passengers and seven crew members came to a stop in shallow water in the St. Johns River. Everyone on board was alive and accounted for, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said, with 21 adults transported to local hospitals in good condition.

Marine units from the sheriff's department and Jacksonville Fire Rescue along with first responders from the naval air station helped passengers and crew to safety.