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Six dead after tour helicopter plummeted into Hudson River

New York Fire Department divers on a boat near the scene of a helicopter crash Thursday on the Hudson River near Manhattan, N.Y. Police boats and other rescue vessels surrounded what appeared to be an overturned helicopter floating in the river. Witnesses on social media reported having seen a helicopter in distress before it plunged into the water. (Adam Gray/The New York Times)
New York Fire Department divers on a boat near the scene of a helicopter crash Thursday on the Hudson River near Manhattan, N.Y. Police boats and other rescue vessels surrounded what appeared to be an overturned helicopter floating in the river. Witnesses on social media reported having seen a helicopter in distress before it plunged into the water. (Adam Gray/The New York Times)
By Angie Orellana Hernandez and María Luisa Paúl Washington Post

A helicopter carrying a Spanish family on a sightseeing trip crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon, killing all six people on board – including three children – in what officials described as a “tragic” incident.

Jarring video of the incident shows the helicopter cabin without rotor blades flipping upside down as it careened into the river with a loud thud. Pictures from the scene after the impact showed the aircraft upside down in the water, partially submerged as first responders worked around the wreck.

“At this time, all six victims have been removed from the water, and, sadly, all six victims have been pronounced deceased,” New York Mayor Eric Adams said during a news conference Thursday. “We’re praying for the families and our gratitude to the rescuers and the courage that was displayed in their dedication.”

The group – a family of five and a pilot – had taken off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m. aboard a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV operated by a tour company called New York Helicopters, city officials said. Company representatives did not answer messages left at their Manhattan and New Jersey offices on Thursday.

City officials declined to identify the victims, citing the need to notify family members and coordinate with the Spanish consulate.

ABC News reported an executive at Siemens, Augustin Escobar, was killed in the crash with his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and three children, ages 4, 5 and 11.

Siemens, a multinational technology company, is based in Germany and has a regional office in Bellevue, Washington.

The helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge about 3:08 p.m. before turning back south along the New Jersey shoreline, officials said, citing online flight data. Minutes later, it lost control and crashed into the water near Hoboken, just feet from the edge of Pier A Park, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

“The helicopter hit the water, we believe, inverted, and the cabin piece was visible above the water,” Tisch said.

At 3:17 p.m., emergency dispatchers began receiving a flood of calls about a helicopter down in the river.

Emergency personnel from multiple agencies – including the New York Police Department, New York City Fire Department, the Port Authority, the Coast Guard and responders from New Jersey – rushed to the scene. Divers from the NYPD recovered four of the victims, while FDNY divers pulled out the remaining two, Tisch said.

“Immediate lifesaving measures were undertaken,” Tisch said. “Four victims were pronounced dead on scene, and two more were removed to local area hospitals, where, sadly, both succumbed to their injuries.”

Kaz Daughtry, the city’s deputy mayor for public safety, praised the emergency teams’ response and said that “they did everything they can to try to save these victims.”

“You could see the trauma in their faces,” Daughtry said. “They did everything they can, and they wanted me to make sure that I made that public.

“They really tried their hardest.”

What caused the helicopter’s crash remains unknown. It is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and local agencies.

“Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River,” President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. “The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!”