CHOPPER TRAGEDY
Hudson River chopper tragic crash victims identified as tech boss, wife and three kids after doomed tourist flight
The crash comes one day after a haunting warning about chopper traffic in NYC
THE president of Siemens' Spanish branch Agustín Escobar, and his family have been identified as five of the six victims of the Hudson chopper crash.
Mr Escobar, along with his wife and three kids, tragically died after the tourist helicopter broke apart mid-air and crashed into icy cold water.
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They died along with the pilot of the helicopter.
Terrifying videos show the chopper completely upside down and bubbling underneath the 50-degree water's surface after the wreck.
The cause of the wreck hasn't been confirmed, but eyewitness video showed the chopper shatter into pieces mid-air before it fell into the waters near the Holland Tunnel in New Jersey.
Fire crews first heard reports of the crash at 3:17 pm and rushed to the site to search for survivors on land and in the water, FDNY told The U.S. Sun.
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Footage taken from the shore showed the bottom of the helicopter partially sticking out of the water as New York Police Department boats cruised to the wreck.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams has spoken at a press conference to give updates on the crash.
He said that “three adults and three children”, including the pilot, were on board the helicopter that took off from the Downtown Skyport about 3pm.
Adams said that initial information suggested the pilot and the family were visiting from Spain.
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He continued: “All six victims have been removed from the water, and sadly, all six victims have been pronounced deceased.”
NYPD Comissioner Jessica Tisch said "the aircraft lost control" and crashed into the river.
A shaken witness described hearing a loud "snap" before he turned around and watched the tragedy unfold.
"I looked over [...] and I could see a helicopter falling on its side and splash into the water," he told WABC.
"I didn't see anyone come out."
Another witness, Sara Jean Raymond, said she was out training for a half marathon when she saw the crash.
"I was in shock. I tried to call 911, I could not reach anyone," she told the local outlet.
"They were very fast, though. They were very fast to come here.
"I don't know what happened, if the people survived or anything, but oh my God, you don't see that very often."
Eric Campoverde, who was also near the crash scene, said the entire incident lasted mere seconds.
"It was going fast. It fell in seconds, like the motor lost power. It took seconds to fall from the sky," he told the New York Post.
“After the splash, the helicopter was above the water for a slight second, but it submerged very quickly. It was maybe on top of the water for three or four seconds before it went under. It was fast.”
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The chopper has been identified as a Bell 206 by the Federal Aviation Administration.
A tour company called New York Helicopter owned and ran the helicopter, its CEO confirmed to Newsday.
Michael Roth said: "I am devastated... But you have to remember: It is a machine. Sometimes machines break."
Flight data shows the helicopter took off from a Lower Manhattan heliport and then circled around Governor's Island for a view of the Statue of Liberty.
Then, the chopper traveled up the Manhattan side of the river to the heights before moving back down along the Palisades to Jersey City.
This is a well-traveled tourist path that has dozens of trips a day.
The NYPD has warned that emergency vehicles are flocking the scene, and traffic may be backed up.
The Coast Guard has closed the Hudson River near the crash site.
That means vessels will not be able to pass through that stretch of the water.
According to the NYC emergency management department, “the US Coast Guard has established a safe zone on all navigable waters of the Hudson River one mile north and one mile south of the Holland Tunnel Ventilators.”
Boaters have been urged to find an alternative route until further notice.
The Coast Guard has paused boat traffic until they clear the wreckage.
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EERIE WARNING
The tragic crash happened just one day after an anti-helicopter group raised the alarm on an increase in New York City air traffic.
Andrew Rosenthal, who is the president of Stop the Chop NY/NJ, compared the jump in helicopter flights to the Washington DC plane crash that claimed 64 lives.
"That was 100 percent foreseeable and preventable,” Rosenthal said, according to the Staten Island Advance.
“And we have the same exact, maybe worse, situation here in New York City.”
New York City area aircraft crashes
There were multiple serious air crashes in the New York City area before a helicopter carrying tourists crashed into the Hudson River near New Jersey on Thursday, claiming six lives.
May 2019: A helicopter crashed into the Hudson near 30th Street and the Lincoln Tunnel, but no one suffered serious injuries
March 2018: A charter helicopter offering “open door” flights crashed in the East River, killing five
2009: A small plane and a tourist helicopter collided over the Hudson River, killing nine people
2009: A commercial plane made an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Five people were seriously hurt
2006: New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed when their small plane crashed into a building on the Upper East Side
2004: A news helicopter crashed in Flatbush, Brooklyn, though no one was killed
Rosenthal fears that helicopters are "sneaking under" approved elevations and is worried there could be a devastating wreck in the near future.
"The difference is when it happens here, it’s going to take out several blocks of residential homes," he warned.
"It’s going to be much worse."
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At least 32 people have died in helicopter crashes in New York City since 1977.
The most recent crash was in 2019, when a helicopter used for executive travel hit the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper and the pilot died.
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