A tragic helicopter crash in New York has claimed six lives, including Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, and their three children who were on board.

The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopters, took off from Lower Manhattan at 3 p.m, on Thursday.

Just 15 minutes later, it fell down into the Hudson River.

Spiraling downward
A horrifying scene unfolded in Lower Manhattan on Thursday as countless onlookers witnessed what should have been a routine helicopter flight turn into a nightmare.

In a city where buzzing choppers are part of the everyday skyline, no one expected to see one spiraling out of control. But that’s exactly what happened. Shocked witnesses described the helicopter breaking apart mid-air before crashing into the Hudson River near Pier 40.

One described a horrifying scene, saying they saw the tourist helicopter “split in half” before crashing near Pier 40. One man reported that the doomed aircraft made a noise that sounded like a “sonic boom.”

”The helicopter was a little bit like nose down, slightly, and I saw the propeller separating from the helicopter. It kept spinning in the air alone. Nothing was attached to it,” witness Sarah Jane Raymond Ryer told CBS.

BREAKING: 6 people killed in Hudson River helicopter crash – APpic.twitter.com/G5NbjZVzV0

— BNO News (@BNONews) April 10, 2025

The aircraft, operated by local tour company New York Helicopter, had been in the air for 15 minutes before disaster struck. Social media videos show the helicopter spiraling downward without its rotors before ending up upside down in the water.

”NYPD divers pulled four people from the crash site, and FDNY divers recovered an additional two. Immediate lifesaving measures were undertaken on the vessels on the scene as well as the adjoining pier. Four victims were pronounced dead on scene, and two more were removed to local area hospitals, where sadly both succumbed to their injuries,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Victims identified
It was later revealed that the passengers on board the helicopter were a family visiting from Spain. According to ABC News, they included Agustin Escobar, a high-ranking executive at Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three young children — ages 4, 5, and 11.

In 2022, Escobar was appointed as an executive for Siemens’ division in Spain and Southwest Europe, as stated in a press release from the technology conglomerate.

Miguel Ángel López, the former head of Siemens’ Spanish division, praised Escobar’s contributions in the release, emphasizing that his efforts were ”key” to the company’s success.

“With Agustín Escobar, we have the best possible successor to lead, from now on, the company in Spain. In recent years his work has been key to Siemens’ success in the field of mobility and transport,” López said.

Before taking off, the family was photographed by New York Helicopters, both outside and inside the helicopter. In the photos, the family are smiling, hugging each other, and giving a thumbs-up. They’re also wearing ear protection and holding folded yellow life vests.

”Always stayed calm…”
The images were initially available on the company’s website after the crash, but they have since been removed. The identity of the pilot operating the chartered helicopter from New York Helicopters has not been disclosed yet.

Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that the family had just arrived in New York City from Barcelona earlier that same day, turning what was meant to be the beginning of a dream vacation into an unimaginable nightmare.

“No matter how hard things got, he always stayed calm and kept it together. He had this way of making things feel OK, even when they weren’t,” Juan Ignacio Diaz, who used to work with Escobar, told New York Post Thursday night.

”And he never forgot what mattered most — his family.”

Appeared to be running low on fuel
Investigators say it’s still too early to determine what caused the crash.

Michael Roth, 71, owner of New York Helicopter — the company that provided both the aircraft and the tour — revealed that the chopper appeared to be running low on fuel shortly after takeoff.

“He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” Roth told The Telegraph.

Roth also said he began receiving a flood of messages before one of his other pilots flew over the river and saw the devastating sight— “the helicopter upside down.”

”I don’t know anything how this went down. The only thing I can tell you, we are devastated. My wife hasn’t stopped crying since this afternoon,” he said. ”We’re a small company. I’m a father and a grandfather, and we’re just devastated. We have no clue what happened,” Roth said in another interview with CBS.

The tragic incident deeply affected President Donald Trump as well.

“Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. 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,” he wrote on Truth Social.

More witnesses
The Coast Guard set up a safety zone in the Hudson River, halting vessel traffic for a mile both north and south of the crash site, which disrupted ferry services.

At the time of the crash, the water temperature was around 50 degrees. The skies were overcast with visibility stretching about 10 miles, and wind gusts reached up to 21 miles per hour.

Jersey City resident Jenn Lynk described the initial confusion: “It sounded honestly like an engine came out. I looked outside my window. I saw a few people running towards the water, and some people were acting pretty normal. So I was like, oh, it might not be anything. Then I started to hear all the sirens come outside.”

Helicopter crashed in Hudson! The chopper broke off midair and dropped!! pic.twitter.com/KpQGmM8x25

— Avirbhaw(Avi) Rakesh (@AvirbhawRakesh) April 10, 2025

Another Jersey City resident, Ipsitaa Banigrhi, recalled the frightening moment: “I heard, like, such a loud sound. It felt like thunder. And because it was raining today, it was just like, OK, maybe. And then I saw, like, black particles flying. Again, I thought maybe it’s just like, dust, or birds, and then we heard all the emergency vehicles and sirens go by, and I think that’s when it was like, OK, what’s happening.”

It truly is a heartbreaking tragedy. May they rest in peace, and my deepest condolences go out to all the families during this incredibly difficult time.