The victims of a helicopter crash in New York City have been identified.
Agustín Escobar, a chief executive for technology company Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal and their three children—aged 4, 5 and 11 years old—were among the six people killed in the Hudson River crash, law enforcement officials confirmed to ABC News. The family was visiting New York City from Spain.
The pilot, who also died, has not been publicly identified.
At around 3:15 p.m. local time on April 10, the New York City Fire Department received a call that the Bell 306 helicopter had crashed into the river that borders Manhattan, officials told NBC News. Later in the day, New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that all six passengers had died.
“We’re praying for the families,” he said at a press conference, adding that he had “gratitude to the rescuers and the courage that was displayed and their dedication.”
The helicopter, which was operated by a local tour company, broke apart midair as the aircraft was flying along the coast of New Jersey, officials told NBC News.
Footage of the crash shared to social media showed the helicopter flipped over as it entered the water, as well as the aircraft’s propellers crashing down moments later.
A resident named Avi Rakesh, who posted a clip of the crash site on X (formerly Twitter), said he witnessed the chopper flying toward New Jersey when “the chopper blade flew off.”
“I don’t know what happened to the tail, but it just straight up dropped,” Rakesh told NBC News. “It dropped feet away from Holland Tunnel.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it would be assisting in an investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board to further understand the incident.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
