INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV is learning more about the rescue of three people from the Atlantic Ocean after their single-engine plane crashed Sunday night off Indian River County.
During a Monday afternoon news conference, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers described it as an "incredibly heroic" and "phenomenal" rescue by multiple agencies.
WATCH BELOW: Indian River County sheriff describes "heroic" ocean rescue
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office said their helicopter, "Hawk," first spotted the three individuals in the water and guided rescue vessels to the crash site.
Deputy Jonathan Lozada, who was piloting the helicopter, outlined the safety challenges associated with a rescue of this nature.
"It's very dark out there. We operate (with) night vision goggles, however ... we're still very limited on visibility," Lozada said. "For us to be able to go that far offshore, it's just unsafe for us. It was definitely a challenge, safety-wise."
Lozada said the survivors were treading water for about 45 minutes to an hour before they were spotted.
WATCH BELOW: Sheriff outlines 'heroic' rescue of plane crash victims
Flowers said Lozada and his co-pilot were looking for remnants of an aircraft, but "there was no debris," only "three heads bobbing in the water."
Lozada said an infrared camera on the helicopter helped them identify the survivors in the water.
"(The plane crash survivors) were out there just holding on," Flowers said. "They didn't have much other than hope that somebody was going to come get them."
Flowers said he believes the plane took off from Palm Coast, Florida, and was on a flight plan to land at Vero Beach Regional Airport.
The sheriff described the rescue as "looking for a needle in a haystack" in the middle of the ocean.
WATCH BELOW: U.S. Customs and Border Protection release video of rescue
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Monday that Air and Marine Operations (AMO) were first alerted by the Indian River Shores Police Department that the single-engine Cessna Skyhawk had crashed about 2 to 3 miles offshore.
After receiving the precise location of the survivors from the sheriff's office, CBP said its marine interdiction agents responded to the scene and successfully rescued the three survivors.
"AMO crews immediately responded and arrived at the location, joining search and rescue efforts already underway by the U.S. Coast Guard, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Indian River Shores Police Department," CBP said in a statement.
At about 9:50 p.m., AMO agents located two survivors. Shortly after, the crew discovered a third person and brought him onboard.
CBP said one of the survivors identified himself as the pilot and confirmed that only three individuals had been aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash.
AMO agents assessed the pilot's condition, monitoring his vitals and providing initial care as he reported severe rib pain," CBP said in a statement.
The pilot was taken to a 45-foot Coast Guard vessel for emergency medical evaluation.
CBP said all three survivors were later transported to Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce for further medical treatment by local fire rescue personnel.
"I believe that had any more time lapsed or had we not had a timely response that day, they may have never been found," Lozada said.
The sheriff's office said the victims are in stable condition. No other details about the survivors have been released.
The cause of the crash has not been released.
