The crash killed all six people on board.
A Spanish Siemens executive and his family were among the six individuals who died when a tourist helicopter crashed into New York City’s Hudson River on April 10, the European technology company confirmed in a statement to media.
Agustín Escobar, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, the train transportation arm of German-based technology company Siemens, was killed in the crash, a company spokesperson said.
His wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged 4, 5, and 11, also died along with the 36-year-old pilot of the aircraft, who has not yet been identified.
The cause of the incident is still unknown.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The Epoch Times has contacted a spokesperson for Siemens for comment.
Escobar was named as the head of Siemens in Spain in 2022, according to a company announcement.
Prior to his appointment, he served as CEO of Siemens Mobility Spain and Southwest Europe and accumulated more than 20 years of international experience in the company, especially in infrastructure, energy, and mobility, the announcement stated.
At a press briefing on April 10, officials with the New York Police Department confirmed the aircraft that crashed was a Bell 206 helicopter operated by tour company New York Helicopters.
The flight took off from the downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m. and flew south before turning to fly north along the Manhattan shoreline up the Hudson River, Police Chief Jessica Tisch said.
At 3:08 p.m., the aircraft reached the George Washington Bridge and then turned again to fly south along the New Jersey shoreline, according to Tisch. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the coast of Pier A Park in Hoboken.
Tisch said officials believe the helicopter hit the water “inverted” and became semi-submerged, adding that a cabin piece remained visible above the water line.
The New York City Fire Department said its units responded to the incident quickly, and immediately deployed divers into the river to begin rescue operations.
“Tragically, six people were pronounced dead,” the department said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the crash.
