Helicopter crash in Hudson River kills six, including children
A tourist helicopter crashed Thursday afternoon into the Hudson River near Manhattan, New York, causing the deaths of six people, including three children.
The victims were a family from Spain, originally from Barcelona, according to U.S. and Spanish authorities, as reported by ABC News.
The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopters, was on a charter flight and had a pilot, two adults, and three children aged 4, 5, and 11. Shortly after taking off from Wall St. Heliport at 3:17 PM, the helicopter crashed into the river.
The victims were Agustin Escobar, an executive at Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children. The 36-year-old pilot also lost his life.
Eyewitnesses described the moment of impact as violent and terrifying. "I saw the helicopter fall into the water at a 45-degree angle. It was followed by a loud noise, like an explosion," said a passerby. Other witnesses reported hearing sounds like gunshots and seeing pieces of the aircraft flying off. According to video footage from the scene, the helicopter flipped upside down in the air and crashed into the water.
Rescue teams found the helicopter overturned in water with a temperature of about 50°F. All passengers were rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, but sadly, none of them survived.
U.S. authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), have opened an investigation to determine the exact causes of the tragedy.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed his heartfelt condolences for the loss of life: "Our thoughts are with the family and everyone affected." President Donald Trump also reacted on social media, calling the accident "horrible" and "devastating."
This is not the first aviation accident in the U.S. this year. In February, a medical plane crashed near a shopping mall in Philadelphia. Another tragic accident occurred in January when a passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Airport in Washington.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
