Agustín Escobar, his spouse Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged four, five, and eleven, perished in the incident, along with the 36-year-old pilot. Escobar held the position of CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility and previously served as the president of the company’s Spanish division.
Heart-wrenching images captured the family on the helipad and inside the helicopter prior to the accident.
According to law enforcement sources cited by the New York Post, the family had just arrived in New York City from Barcelona earlier that day. It has also been reported that the helicopter pilot indicated a need for refueling shortly before the fatal crash that claimed all six lives on board.
The horrifying incident occurred around 3:15 PM on Thursday, closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, near the southern tip of Manhattan.
Witnesses described seeing the helicopter “split in half” before descending near Pier 40, with one individual noting that the aircraft emitted a sound resembling a “sonic boom.”
The helicopter was operated by New York Helicopter, a local tour service, and was identified as a Bell 206L-4, according to Flight Radar.
The helicopter had been airborne for approximately 16 minutes before it plunged into the water. It took off from the Wall Street Heliport, circled near the Statue of Liberty, and then proceeded up the Hudson River towards the George Washington Bridge at an altitude of about 1,000 feet.
Investigators have stated that it is too early to determine the cause of the crash. Dramatic footage captured the helicopter sinking into the water as emergency responders rushed to the scene.Michael Roth, 71, the owner of New York Helicopter, which operated the tour and provided the helicopter, reported that the aircraft was low on fuel just minutes after takeoff.
“The pilot communicated that he was preparing to land and required fuel. It should have taken him approximately three minutes to reach us, but he did not arrive even after 20 minutes,” Roth informed The Telegraph.
Roth mentioned that he began receiving numerous phone messages before one of his other pilots flew over the Hudson River and spotted the helicopter overturned.
“We are all heartbroken. Every member of our team is in mourning. My wife has been in tears continuously.
“The loss of a child, or any life, is an immense tragedy,” Roth remarked.
Late Thursday night, emergency responders were observed retrieving the wreckage of the helicopter from the murky waters of the Hudson River. Images captured a crane lifting twisted pieces of metal from the river.
Jersey City Mayor Steven provided an update on X, stating that significant portions of the aircraft remain unaccounted for, prompting dive teams to search the Hudson River for these parts on Friday.
“Recovery operations have been paused for the night. Major components of the aircraft are still missing, so dive operations by the NYPD and NJSP will continue tomorrow morning,” he stated. Emergency crews worked to extract the helicopter wreckage from the Hudson River. Four individuals were declared dead at the scene, while two others were transported to the hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Escobar was appointed CEO of Siemens in Spain in 2022, having previously held the position of CEO of Siemens Mobility Spain.
Between 1998 and 2010, he occupied various roles in Spain, mainly within the energy sector. Furthermore, Escobar served as the vice president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain.
He had previously resided in New York and had been inMerce, like her husband, was employed by Siemens.
She identified herself online as the Global Commercialist Manager for Siemens Energy.
Merce began her career at Siemens in April 2009 as a sales manager for the Catalonia region, and she later served as a management consultant for the company in the United States from January 2011 to January 2013, during which time she was based in Manhattan.
She was the great-granddaughter of Augusti Montal Galobart, who held the presidency of Barcelona FC from 1946 to 1952, and the granddaughter of Augusti Montal Costa, who managed the Catalan club from 1969 to 1977.
The Spanish economist and businessman was responsible for signing soccer legend Johan Cruyff from Ajax in 1973 for a then-record fee, which would be equivalent to £130 million today.
At the time of the helicopter crash, the weather was overcast with winds ranging from 10 to 15 mph, gusting up to 25 mph, as reported by CNN.
Visibility at the surface was deemed good at 10 miles, although clouds were present due to a weather system approaching the area, which was expected to bring light rain later in the afternoon and evening. The water temperature was approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Additional footage captured the helicopter appearing to fly erratically just before it descended into the water, with other clips showing parts of the aircraft detaching.
“Our condolences go out to the families of those on board,” stated Mayor Eric Adams. “All six individuals have been recovered from the water, and tragically, all six have been confirmed deceased.”
Rashmi Kamkeri, a 30-year-old engineer, was working remotely from her Newport Park apartment when she heard a loud crash at around 3:19 p.m. on Thursday. Since 1977, at least 32 individuals have lost their lives in helicopter crashes in New York City.
The most recent incident occurred in 2018 when a helicopter crashed into the East River, resulting in the deaths of five passengers.
The crash on March 11, 2018, was attributed to the tail of the helicopter becoming entangled with the fuel shutoff lever, according to the NTSB.
All passengers aboard drowned and were identified as Daniel Thompson, 34, Tristian Hill, 29, Trevor Cadigan, 26, Brian McDaniel, 26, and Carla Vallejos.
