Siemens CEO and Family die in Helicopter Crash in New York
Siemens CEO and Family die in Helicopter Crash in New York
AFP
Six individuals, including a senior Siemens executive and his family, tragically lost their lives when a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York on Thursday.
All aboard the helicopter, comprising the pilot and the family of Agustin Escobar, CEO of a Siemens subsidiary, were killed in the incident. Although two victims were transported to the hospital, they later succumbed to their injuries.
Siemens expressed its sorrow over the loss, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives,” as reported by AFP on Friday. US media outlets, such as NBC News, identified one of the other deceased as Escobar’s wife, Merce Camprubi.
Siemens Energy confirmed that a “colleague” associated with the company, along with Escobar and the pilot, perished in the accident, though they did not specify that it was Escobar’s wife.
At a briefing earlier, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the bodies of all six victims—including three children—had been recovered from the water, calling the situation “heartbreaking and tragic.” Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter’s landing skids sticking out of the river near a tunnel vent as rescue boats gathered at the site.
New York and New Jersey police responded quickly to the scene, accompanied by fire department vessels. NBC4 reported that their helicopter was grounded due to unfavorable weather conditions in New York, marked by strong winds and thick cloud cover.
A witness described a possibly catastrophic malfunction, stating, “It appeared as if the helicopter’s rotor blade shattered in the sky… and then it just crashed into the water just like that,” according to fashion designer Belle Angel.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the aircraft was a Bell 206 helicopter and stated that both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would conduct investigations.
President Donald Trump remarked on the tragedy, labeling it “terrible” and commenting on social media about the horrific footage of the accident and sending condolences to the victims’ families.
The Hudson River is a busy shipping lane and previously saw the miraculous emergency landing of a US Airways jet in 2009, when all 155 onboard escaped unharmed—a moment referred to as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
At certain points, the river reaches depths of up to 200 feet (60 meters), and an AFP correspondent noted the deployment of flotation devices on the helicopter’s skids. The current average water temperature is about 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius), according to the US Geological Survey.
Mayor Adams reported that the helicopter, which took off from the downtown Skyport around 3 PM, was carrying three adults and three children from a family visiting from Spain.
Police and fire department divers rushed to the scene, with NYPD divers rescuing four individuals and FDNY divers retrieving another two. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch detailed that four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others did not survive their injuries after being transported to local hospitals.
The helicopter had initially flown south after departure, then moved up the Manhattan shoreline toward the George Washington Bridge, before losing control and crashing near a Hoboken pier.
The aircraft was operated by New York Helicopter, which did not respond to requests for comment but lists the Bell 206 in its fleet. Since 1980, there have been approximately 30 helicopter crashes in New York, prompting Brooklyn Borough President Mark Levine to call for stricter regulations on helicopter operations in the city.
