Six people, including five Spanish members of the same family, died Thursday after a tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Pier 40 in New York City, in an accident being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed in a statement to the press that there were no survivors and that the victims were the pilot and a family—a married couple and their three children—”who were visiting from Spain, based on the preliminary information we have at this time.” “Three children and three adults were on board” the helicopter, he said, expressing his gratitude to the rescuers.
Two of the victims were taken to the hospital, where they “succumbed to their injuries,” while the other four were pronounced dead at the scene, according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“At this time, the names are being withheld pending notification of the family,” he added in statements to the press reported by the American television network NBC News.
The New York Fire Department received a call at around 3:17 p.m. (local time) following the incident. The helicopter, a Bell 206 model, flew for approximately 16 minutes before crashing into the water. Shortly before plunging into the void, the aircraft circled the Statue of Liberty before ascending the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge.
The Spanish Consulate in New York is in contact with local authorities to gather all the information, diplomatic sources told Europa Press.
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, expressed his condolences to “the victims’ families at this heartbreaking time.” “The news reaching us today of the helicopter crash in the Hudson River is devastating,” he wrote in a message on the social media platform X, in which he called the tragedy “unimaginable.”
For his part, White House resident Donald Trump lamented the “terrible accident.” “The images of the accident are horrific. God bless the families and friends of the victims,” ​​he said on Truth Social, adding that “it will be announced shortly what exactly happened and how.”
