Tech executive, his family among victims of helicopter crash in NYC’s Hudson River

The family from Spain, consisting of five members, which included three children, tragically lost their lives when the tour helicopter they were on crashed into the Hudson River in New York City.

According to the New York Times, the victims were Agustín Escobar, who was the head of the Spanish division of the technology giant Siemens, and his wife and three children.

Law enforcement officials confirmed to the outlet that the executive and his family were onboard the tour helicopter.

Escobar was appointed to serve as the CEO of Siemens in Spain in 2022 after previously serving as the CEO of Siemens Mobility Spain.

In addition to his role at Siemens, Escobar had a career in Spain from 1998 to 2010, with a focus on the energy industry. He also held the position of vice president at the German Chamber of Commerce in Spain during his professional journey.

The terrifying crash took place at around 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River just off the tip of Lower Manhattan.

Officials said the victims include a business executive from Spain, an adult relative, three children and the pilot. 

Witnesses said they saw the chopper ‘split in half’ before it went down near Pier 40, with one man reporting the stricken aircraft making what sounded like a ‘sonic boom.’ 

The aircraft was operated by New York Helicopter, a local tour company. The chopper appeared to be a N216MH – a Bell 206L-4, according to Flight Radar.

The helicopter flew for approximately 16 minutes before going down into the water.  It took off from the Wall Street Heliport and did a circle near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge at about 1000 feet.

It is also too early to say what may have caused the crash. Dramatic video showed the helicopter sinking into the water as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

As of 5:15 p.m., rescue efforts appeared to have concluded, and officials are focused on recovering parts of the aircraft, reported Fox 5.

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others were taken to the hospital, where they ‘succumbed to their injuries,’ NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Their names are being held pending family notification, and the Spanish Consulate of New York City is in touch with authorities, according to the communications team at the Spanish Foreign Ministry. 

At the time of the crash, it was cloudy with winds around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph, CNN reported.

Surface visibility was considered good — 10 miles — but it was cloudy as a system is moving into the region, bringing light rain to the region this afternoon and evening. The water was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other footage showed the chopper ‘flying erratically’ just before it fell into the water, while other clips showed pieces of the aircraft were seen flying off. 

‘Our hearts go out to the families of those who were onboard,’ Mayor Eric Adams said. ‘All six have been removed from the water, and sadly all six victims have been pronounced deceased.’

Anna was walking her rescue dog Archie along the West Side Highway in the rain when she saw the emergency responders and lights across the river on the New Jersey side.

‘I saw the helicopter submerged in the water and then there was a-lot of commotion,’ she told DailyMail.com. 

Another said: ‘One of my children said, ‘what’s that sound?’ I told him I didn’t know. My other child said, ‘Do you think it was an earthquake?’ ‘I said, ‘no we would feel it.’

‘My other child asked, ‘Do you think a building pancaked?”

One eye witness told ABC the crash ‘sounded like a sonic boom,’ and when he looked up he saw the chopper ‘splitting in two.’ 

‘It was going so fast and it just went straight into the water… I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,’ he added. 

Another person told the outlet: ‘I heard a loud snap … I looked over … and I could see a helicopter falling on its side and splash into the water. I didn’t see anyone come out.’ 

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the Jersey City Police Department are taking the lead in the investigation until officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrive. 

The skies are often filled with both planes and helicopters that both fly private recreational, commercial and tourists flights. 

Manhattan has multiple helipads that are used by people, including business executives, to get across the Metropolitan area. 

At least 32 have been killed in helicopter crashes in New York City since 1977.

The most recent crash happened in 2018 when a chopper hit crashed into the East River, leaving five passengers dead. 

The chopper crashed on March 11, 2018 when the tail of the aircraft got caught on the fuel shutoff lever, the NTSB said. 

All the passengers on board drowned. They were identified as Daniel Thompson, 34, Tristian Hill, 29, Trevor Cadigan, 26, Brian McDaniel, 26, and Carla Vallejos-Blanco, 29.