The five members of a family who lost their lives in the New York helicopter crash have now been identified, following the release of a heartbreaking photo believed to have been taken just moments before the tragedy.
The image shows the Spanish tourists—two adults and three children—smiling together ahead of their sightseeing tour, unaware of the fate that awaited them. The family, originally from Barcelona, appeared joyful as they posed outside the helicopter on April 10.
Tragically, around 15 minutes after takeoff, disaster struck. According to witnesses, the helicopter split in half mid-air before crashing into the Hudson River.
Shocking footage of the accident captures the aircraft spiraling downward upside down before it slammed into the water.
City Mayor Eric Adams has expressed his condolences, saying his “heart goes out” to the families affected by the tragedy, as authorities continue to investigate the crash.
According to The New York Times, the victims have been identified, including Agustín Escobar, who served as the chief executive for rail infrastructure at the tech company Siemens. He was traveling with his wife and their three young children.
His wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, worked as a global manager at an energy technology firm. The couple’s children were just four, five, and eleven years old.
Michael Roth, 71, the CEO of the touring company that operated the aircraft, shared that the pilot had contacted them, stating he was heading back to the helipad but never made it.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: “He [the pilot] called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.”
Expressing his heartbreak, he said: “We’re all devastated. Every employee in our company is devastated. My wife has not stopped crying.
“The death of the child of any human being, is a monumental disaster.”
Despite his experience, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours was at a loss for how such a tragic crash could have happened.
Speaking to the New York Post, he said: “The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter.”
Feeling helpless, he continued: “And I haven’t seen anything like that in my 30 years being in business, in the helicopter business.
“The only thing I could guess – I got no clue – is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don’t know.”
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were rescued from the water but sadly died later from their injuries in hospital.