A Spanish couple killed when a helicopter crashed in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday was identified by authorities as the investigation into the tragedy continues.
Agustín Escobar, the CEO of German technology firm Siemens, and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, were both killed after a tourist helicopter appeared to break apart mid-air before falling into the water, NBC News reported. Three minors, who are reportedly the children of Escobar and Montal, were also killed but have not been identified. The name of the pilot who died in the crash has also not been released as of Friday morning.
Escobar brought his family to New York City after a business trip, and the family was celebrating Montal’s 40th birthday on Thursday when they went on the tourist helicopter flight, according to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who added that the children were all 11 years old and under. The Spanish newspaper El Diario reported that the trip was to celebrate the birthday of one of the children.
A video posted on social media showed the Bell 206 helicopter falling from the sky after it appeared to lose its propellers. Witnesses described hearing a loud boom and then seeing the helicopter “split in half.” One witness told ABC News that she “heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.”
Authorities quickly recovered all six bodies from the Hudson River Thursday evening. Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more were transported to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Later that night, the helicopter was removed from the river.
Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, said the pilot called in before the crash to say that he needed fuel and was preparing to return, The Telegraph reported. Roth added, “It should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.”
“We’re all devastated,” he said.
Leaders in the United States and Spain mourned the deaths. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called the crash “an unimaginable tragedy.” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The footage of the accident is horrendous.”
“God bless the families and friends of the victims,” he added. “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!”
