The crash on Thursday killed all those onboard the aircraft: the pilot and the family of Agustin Escobar, the CEO of a unit under global tech firm Siemens
Crews work to remove a crashed helicopter from the Hudson River. Pic/AFP
Six people including a senior Siemens executive and his family were killed when a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York.
ADVERTISEMENT
The crash on Thursday killed all those onboard the aircraft: the pilot and the family of Agustin Escobar, the CEO of a unit under global tech firm Siemens.
Two of the victims were initially taken to a hospital, but later succumbed to their injuries.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives," Siemens told AFP on Friday.
All six victims -- including three children -- have been recovered from the water, Mayor Eric Adams told a briefing earlier, after calling it a "heartbreaking and tragic crash."
The chopper's landing skids were seen protruding from the river beside a tunnel vent as several boats clustered around the impact site.
Police from both New York and New Jersey, which is on the opposite side of the river from Manhattan, responded to the scene along with fire department vessels.
The NBC4 channel reported that its own helicopter was unable to take off because of weather conditions, with the weather in New York on Thursday gusty under thick cloud cover.
A witness told AFP it appeared like the helicopter's rotor blade "shattered in the sky."
"And after it shattered, then we saw the helicopter just spiral... And then it just crashed into the water just like that," said fashion designer Belle Angel.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement it was a Bell 206 helicopter.
"The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate," it added.
President Donald Trump took to social media to call the crash "terrible."
"The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims," he wrote on Truth Social.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
