Navy Helicopter Fired Upon While Training in Caribbean

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Navy helicopter participating in training exercises off the Puerto Rican island of Vieques was shot at Thursday, the military said.

The SH-3 Sea King helicopter was pursuing two small boats in a restricted area when someone fired what appeared to be two flares at the helicopter, said Lt. Cmdr. Katherine Goode, a Navy spokeswoman.

The flares missed, and no one was hurt, Goode said.

Military officials detected the boats as they crossed into a restricted area around exercises conducted by the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy and its battle group, Goode said. The boats fled from the helicopter, a Coast Guard cutter and a police patrol boat sent to intercept them.

The Navy has bombed the eastern tip of Vieques for six decades, training sailors for conflicts from World War II to the Persian Gulf War. Opponents say the bombardment harms the environment and health of Vieques’ approximately 9,000 residents, which the Navy denies. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested for trespassing on the firing range since 1999.