close Video Helicopter plummets from sky over Hudson River
Cellphone footage captures a helicopter falling towards the Hudson River before crashing in the water near Jersey City, New Jersey, and Manhattan, New York, on Thursday. (Bruce Wall)
Six people including a pilot, two adults and three children were killed after a tour helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon.
Five of the victims have been identified as a Spanish family: Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children, The Associated Press reported. The pilot’s identity has not been released.
Siemens is a German global technology company with a headquarters in Spain. Escobar’s LinkedIn profile identified him as the Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility and showed he had been with the company in various roles for more than 27 years.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference that at 3:17 p.m., authorities received multiple 911 calls about a helicopter crash in the Hudson River near the New Jersey coastline. The helicopter was inverted when it crashed, and the cabin was visible above the water.
As seen from Pier 40 in New York City, police and fire crews from New York and New Jersey respond to the scene of a helicopter crash in the Hudson River on Thursday. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and New York City Police Department (NYPD) divers entered the water within minutes, along with personnel from the port authority and various New Jersey agencies.
NYPD divers pulled four people from the crash site and FDNY divers recovered an additional two people, Tisch said.
A crane vessel lifts the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Video
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the family was visiting from Spain. He said it is “heartbreaking” that a family on vacation was involved in such a tragic incident.
“We had over 65 million people that visited our city last year, and just think about it, you’re on a vacation, you’re with your family, you want to experience New York from the sky, and something like this happens. It’s heartbreaking to everyone,” Adams said, in part.
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Immediate lifesaving measures were taken on the vessels and on an adjoining pier. However, four people were pronounced dead at the scene and the other two people were pronounced dead at local hospitals.
According to flight tracking software and a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Bell 206 helicopter, flying for the tour company New York Helicopters, took off from the downtown Manhattan heliport at 2:59 p.m.
First responders walk along Pier 40 in New York City, across from where a helicopter went down in the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Jennifer Peltz)
The aircraft flew south, before turning to fly north along the Manhattan shoreline up the Hudson River.
At 3:08 p.m., the helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge and then turned again to fly south along the New Jersey shoreline.
Shortly after, the aircraft lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the shore near Hoboken.
The Army Corps of Engineers announced just before 10 p.m. it had salvaged the helicopter.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed they will investigate the cause of the crash.
A NTSB “go-team,” including chairman Jennifer Homendy, was deployed and will arrive at the scene Thursday night, according to a statement.
A helicopter is seen floating after it crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday in Jersey City, N.J. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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According to FOX Weather, the water temperature in the Hudson River is in the mid 40s.
There were no known adverse weather conditions that might have caused the crash.
New York Helicopter did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
A map of the reported crash area on the Jersey City, New Jersey, side of the Hudson River. (Fox News)
The crash site is less than a mile from Manhattan and is close to the Holland Tunnel, where 15.8 million vehicles cross annually from New Jersey into New York City.
A safety zone one mile north and one mile south of the Holland Tunnel across the entire Hudson River remains in effect, as of 10 p.m., according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
A crane vessel lifts the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“The Coast Guard and Army Corps, along with local partners, continue to support the NTSB in their ongoing investigation and debris recovery efforts,” according to a statement from the Coast Guard.
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday night to offer his condolences.
“Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River,” Trump wrote. “Looks like six people, the pilot, two adults, and three children, are no longer with us. The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!” Video
Just after 8 p.m., Duffy took to X to share that no air traffic control services were being provided when the helicopter crashed.
“We pray for the victims and their families. Heres what we know: The tour helicopter was in the Special Flight Rules Area established in New York which means no air traffic control services were being provided when the helicopter crashed,” Duffy wrote in the post. “Several minutes prior to entering the Special Flight Rules Area, Air Traffic Control from LaGuardia airport was providing support.”
Duffy added his agency will launch a Safety Review Team on Thursday night and provide updates as they become available.
As seen from Pier 40 in New York, police and fire crews from New York and New Jersey respond a helicopter crash on the Hudson River. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke during a joint news conference with the FDNY and NYPD.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those who were onboard,” Adams said. “It’s almost reminiscent of the plane going down here on the Hudson River. Thank God we didn’t lose any lives back then. It’s still fresh and still new, the investigation is ongoing, and the family members we lift them up in prayer.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X he was briefed by law enforcement, and called the incident “tragic.”
“We are supporting the emergency response effort through the @NJSP, @PANYNJ, and local first responders,” Murphy wrote in the post.
NYPD officials told Fox News Digital they are not able to provide further details at this time.
Police and firefighters work on the site after a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Prior to the Hudson River crash on Thursday, the NTSB reported 211 helicopter accidents in the past two years, 37 of which were fatal.
Since 1965, 36 crashes have occurred in nearby New York City, 11 of which were fatal.
In 2019, two helicopters crashed in New York City.
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One of the helicopters hit the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper in restricted airspace, killing the pilot, according to a report from The Associated Press.
The other helicopter went into the Hudson River and sank while being maneuvered at a heliport, but the pilot escaped.
Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.