Six people are dead after a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon.
A family of Spanish tourists, including two adults and three children were on board, as well as the pilot, New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed at a press conference.
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Four of those on board were pronounced dead at the scene, while another two died in a local hospital, authorities confirmed.
Five of the victims late Thursday were identified as Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three children, a person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press.
The person could not discuss details of the crash investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Photos posted on the helicopter company’s website showed the couple and their children smiling as they boarded just before the flight took off.
Around 3:15 p.m., the helicopter, a Bell 206 LongRanger, went down into the river that divides New York City from New Jersey. The helicopter took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, according to FlightRadar24.
Recovery efforts were underway on both sides of the river. New York Police Department officials said emergency responders were gathered near Pier40 on the West Side Highway and Spring Street.
NYPD told locals to “expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas.”
Videos of the incident circulated on social media, showing emergency boats surrounding the helicopter, which was upside down in the waters. Other videos showed the helicopter falling upside down and hitting the water.
Avi Rakesh, who posted a video of the helicopter on X, said he witnessed one of the helicopter blades fly off.
“I don’t know what happened to the tail, but it just straight up dropped,” Rakesh told NBC News. “It dropped feet away from Holland Tunnel, and I can’t imagine if it hit it.”
Another witness, Peter Park of Jersey City, New Jersey, told the New York Times he heard “a loud bang” around the time of the incident and looked out the window to see the aircraft emitting black smoke. Park said he saw the unattached blades of the helicopter falling into the river
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board said they were leading the investigation into the incident.
“A Bell 206 helicopter crashed and is submerged in the Hudson River in New York City,” the FAA and NTSB said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrived at the scene roughly an hour and a half after the incident, calling it a “heartbreaking and tragic crash.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he was briefed on the crash, and the New Jersey State Police, as well as the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York, were supporting emergency responders in their efforts.
Recovery efforts continued into the evening with the main fuselage eventually lifted out of the water by crane. Other debris was collected from along the shoreline by police officers.
The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated an investigation, and President Donald Trump has expressed his condolences to the families, stating that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his team will provide updates on their findings.
Source: independent.co.uk