A family from Spain was about to celebrate the 9th birthday of one of their children when their sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey, killing all six people aboard.
Authorities including the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating Thursday’s crash. There has been no word of a cause. NTSB investigators were examining the remnants of the helicopter Friday and planned to brief reporters. The victims included Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, who was a global manager at an energy technology company, and their three children, in addition to the pilot.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the children were 4, 8 and 10 years old. Escobar was in the New York area on business and his family flew over to meet him for a few days, said Steven Fulop, mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, in a post on Twitter (X). He said a relative would arrive Friday and that officials were working with the medical examiner to release the bodies for their return to Spain. Pieces of the aircraft could still be seen floating in the river Friday morning as divers resumed the search for evidence. The bulk of the cabin was retrieved by crane Thursday night.
