Authorities said six people, including three children, were killed after a helicopter carrying tourist families crashed into New York’s Hudson River.
The five family members were from Spain, and the sixth was a pilot, New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters Thursday. Everything was on a helicopter during the collision.
“Our hearts come out in our families,” Adams said.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tish said the victim’s identity will not be released until family members are notified. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Video footage of the incident shows a helicopter falling upside down from the sky and splattering onto the Hudson River.
Officials said the helicopter lost control shortly after moving along the New Jersey coastline at the George Washington Bridge.
The helicopter was run by a New York helicopter and took off from downtown Skyport, located at 14:59 local time (19:59 BST).
New York Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said the first call to the crash was 15:17 EDT (20:17 GMT) and the rescue team were released soon.
“The swimmer was in the water right after the call,” he said.
Upon reaching the scene, rescuers searched for water for the victim or survivors and launched “immediate lifesaving measures,” but efforts failed.
Four victims were declared dead at the scene, while two others were declared dead at a nearby hospital, officials said.
The river section where the helicopter crashes is located near the west side of Manhattan, known for its trendy shops and food. It is also located near the main campus of New York University.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the investigation into the crash of Bell 206, a two-blade helicopter, will be led by the National Road Safety Commission.
In a social media post, President Trump said the crash was terrible and more details would soon be coming.
“God blesses the family and friends of his victims,” the president wrote about the true society.
Bell 206 is commonly used in tourism companies, new TV stations and police stations.
Michael Ross, CEO of New York Helicopter Charter Inc., told CNN it was “devastated.”
“I am my father, my grandfather and my wife hasn’t stopped crying since this afternoon,” he said. When asked about helicopter maintenance, Ross said, “It’s my maintenance director who handles that.”
The crash-looking attacker told CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner, that he saw part of the helicopter fall from the sky.
“I looked out the window. There were some people running towards the water, some people behaving pretty normal. So, oh, that might not be anything. Then I started hearing all the sirens coming out,” said Jersey City resident Jen Link.
Another Jersey City resident, Ipsitataa Banigrhi, told CBS that the crash sounded like a Thunder.
“I saw black particles flying,” she said. “Again, I thought it was like dust and birds. Then we heard all the emergency vehicles and sirens passing by.
This is not the first deadly tourist helicopter crash in New York City. In 2018, another tourist helicopter crashed into the East River, killing all five passengers. Only the pilot survived.
In 2009, a helicopter carrying Italian tourists collided with a private plane across the Hudson River, killing nine people.
