Spanish Family Killed In Hudson River Helicopter Crash Was Celebrating Child’s Birthday

Baila Eve ZismanApril 21, 2025, 11:29 pmNews >

A family of tourists celebrating a birthday was killed when the helicopter they were in crashed into the Hudson River in New York two weeks ago.

The family of five from Barcelona has been revealed to be Agustín Escobar, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three children, ages four, five and 11. The pilot on board was also killed. Escobar and Montal were both executives at the telecommunications company Siemens.

Video footage of the accident shows the helicopter breaking apart mid-air and crashing into the water, the rotor blades detaching and falling separately.

The helicopter, operated by tour company New York Helicopters, took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on the lower side of the island at roughly 3:00 p.m. Officials have said that the helicopter lost control shortly after it turned at the George Washington Bridge to traverse the New Jersey shoreline and the crash took place off the coast of Hoboken. Rescuers searched the water for victims and initiated “immediate life-saving measures.” Two of the passengers were found alive in the water but later died at the hospital.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, an investigation into the crash of the two-bladed helicopter – known as the Bell 206 – will be led by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The New York Comptroller’s Office reports that almost 30,000 tourists use the Downtown Manhattan Heliport annually. Michael Roth, the company’s CEO, said that the pilot had communicated that he needed fuel ahead of the crash.

“He called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive,” Roth said. “But 20 minutes later he didn’t arrive.”

“We’re all devastated,” Roth added.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said sightseeing helicopter tours needed to be more closely evaluated as a tourist attraction. “I think it needs a comprehensive review. And it’s not just New York, it’s the Grand Canyon, it’s Las Vegas. There are a lot of cities around the country that have these helicopter tours, and I want to make sure that we have a holistic review to make sure it’s done safely.”

A spokesperson for Siemens issued a statement, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Agustin Escobar and his family…our deepest condolences go out to all of his relatives.”