Tragedy Strikes as Helicopter Crash in Hudson River Claims Six Lives

Emergency personnel responded to a devastating helicopter crash in New York City’s Hudson River on Thursday, where all six occupants were killed. Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the fatalities, which included a Spanish family with three children and the pilot.

The victims included Agustin Escobar, an executive with the German technology firm Siemens, according to reports in the New York Times, citing law enforcement sources.

While New York City police directed inquiries regarding Escobar’s presence on the helicopter to the US Coast Guard, the Coast Guard stated that victim names were not yet available. Siemens has yet to release a statement.

Eyewitness video captured the moment of the crash, showing what appeared to be a large object plummeting into the river, followed shortly by a helicopter blade. Rescue and police boats quickly converged on the area where the helicopter was submerged, with only the landing gear visible above the water.

According to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the Bell 206 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, took off from a downtown helicopter pad around 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT). It proceeded north over the Hudson River.

The helicopter then turned south near the George Washington Bridge and crashed minutes later. It struck the water upside down and became submerged near Lower Manhattan, just off Hoboken, New Jersey, at approximately 3:15 p.m.

Divers recovered the victims from the water. Tragically, four individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, while the remaining two were transported to nearby hospitals, where they later succumbed to their injuries.

The airspace surrounding Manhattan is heavily trafficked by helicopters offering aerial views to tourists. Tour website Viator lists at least two dozen operators in the area. Many of these operators also provide helicopter shuttle services to local airports.

New York Helicopter Tours, which advertises sightseeing flights starting at $114 per person on its website, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the accident.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that the tour helicopter was operating within a Special Flight Rules Area in New York, meaning air traffic control services were not provided at the time of the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct a thorough investigation, with the NTSB taking the lead.

Duffy added that the FAA initiated a Safety Review Team on Thursday evening. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and her team are expected to arrive in New York later Thursday, with a press briefing scheduled for Friday.

New York City has experienced helicopter accidents in the past. In 2018, a helicopter crash into the East River resulted in the deaths of five passengers, while the pilot survived. The helicopter was on a charter flight with an open door, allowing passengers to take skyline photographs.

A New York City Police spokesperson confirmed that police boats assisted in the rescue efforts on Thursday.

Following a crash on January 29 near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people, helicopter safety has become a focal point in the US Congress. The accident involved an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter.

Subsequently, the FAA has permanently restricted helicopter traffic near Reagan National Airport and is currently reviewing helicopter operations in the vicinity of other major airports.