A CEO at German technology company Siemens, his wife and three children were the passengers killed when a tourist helicopter plunged into the Hudson River near Jersey City, according to a report.
Agustin Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children, ages 4, 5 and 11, died in the crash along with the 36-year-old pilot, ABC news reported, citing law enforcement sources.
The pilot, who was also killed, was not identified in the report.
Escobar was a CEO of Siemens divisions in Spain before being named to a global CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens headquarters in Germany, his LinkedIn page says.
“We are in touch with an executive from Siemens who is flying in tonight,” Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said. “We will liaison with him and help the families with the necessary steps to bring their loved ones home.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a Thursday afternoon press conference that the six victims included members of a family that was visiting from Spain.
The family was on a chopper operated by New York Helicopter Tours, whose CEO, Michael Roth, told reporters later Thursday: “I’m a father and a grandfather and to have children on there, I’m devastated. I’m absolutely devastated.”
Footage posted on social media sites showed the helicopter in pieces as it fell into the water, with the main body of the craft falling uncontrolled and landing upside down.
Divers recovered all six people that were aboard the flight and four were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
The two others, both juveniles, died shortly thereafter at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Fulop said.
The mayor said major parts of the aircraft had not been recovered as of 9:30 p.m. and that dive operations by the NYPD and New Jersey State Police would resume Friday morning.
However, the main body of the helicopter was recovered and is in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facility on Chapel Avenue in Jersey City, Fulop added.
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at [email protected].
