Authorities have reported that a helicopter transporting a family of tourists crashed into the Hudson River in New York, resulting in the deaths of six people, three of whom were children.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams informed reporters yesterday, Thursday April 10th, that the family of five originated from Spain, and the sixth individual was the pilot. The accident, which is currently under investigation, occurred while all individuals were aboard the helicopter.

Adams expressed his sympathy for the families.

The identities of the individuals involved have not yet been disclosed by the authorities; however, they were widely identified as Agustín Escobar and his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, who were both administrators at Siemens, and their children, aged 4, 5, and 11.

Previously, Jessica Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York Police Department, stated that the victims’ identities would not be disclosed until the families are informed.

Video footage of the incident depicts the helicopter plummeting from the atmosphere in an upside-down position and subsequently splashing into the Hudson River.

The helicopter lost control shortly after turning at the George Washington Bridge to proceed along the New Jersey shoreline, according to officials.

The helicopter, which was operated by New York Helicopters, departed from the Downtown Skyport on the lower side of Manhattan at 14:59 local time (20:59 CEST).

What is known about the Hudson helicopter crash?
According to Robert Tucker, the New York Fire Commissioner, the initial reports of the accident were received at approximately 15:17 EDT (21:17 CEST), and rescue boats were promptly dispatched.

“Swimmers were in the water shortly after the call,” he stated.

Rescuers scoured the water for victims or survivors and attempted “immediate life-saving measures” upon arriving at the scene; however, their efforts were unsuccessful.

Officials reported that four victims were declared deceased at the site, while two others were declared deceased at a nearby hospital.

The helicopter collided with the river in the vicinity of Manhattan’s west side, an area renowned for its fashionable shopping and dining establishments. Additionally, it is situated in close proximity to the primary campus of New York University.

The National Transportation Safety Board will oversee the investigation into the Bell 206 accident, a two-bladed helicopter, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

President Trump declared that the accident was catastrophic in a social media post and that additional information regarding the incident would be disclosed in the near future.

The president expressed his condolences to the families and acquaintances of the victims on Truth Social, wishing them the best of luck.

The Bell 206 is frequently employed by police departments, television stations, and sightseeing companies.

Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Charter Inc, expressed his “devastation” to CNN.

“I am a father and grandfather, and my wife has been weeping nonstop since this afternoon,” he stated. Mr. Roth responded, “My director of maintenance is responsible for helicopter maintenance.”

Eyewitnesses who witnessed the disaster reported to CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner, that they observed components of the helicopter plummeting from the sky.

“I gazed out of my window.” I observed a few individuals sprinting towards the water, while others were behaving in a manner that was relatively unremarkable. Therefore, I thought, “Oh, it may not be anything.” Jenn Lynk, a resident of Jersey City, stated, “I then began to hear all the sirens come outside.”

Ipsitaa Banigrhi, another Jersey City resident, informed CBS that the impact resembled thunder.

She stated, “I observed black particles soaring.” “Again, I considered the possibility that it was simply dust or birds, but it was only after we heard the sirens and emergency vehicles that we realised what was happening.”

This is not the first fatal tourist helicopter accident in New York City. In 2018, an additional tourist helicopter plummeted into the East River, resulting in the drowning of all five passengers. The pilot was the sole survivor.

In 2009, a private plane collided with a helicopter transporting Italian vacationers over the Hudson River, resulting in the deaths of 9.

The eastern lighthouse at the Port of Torrevieja has been inoperable for several days. The green starboard light, which serves as a warning for the vessel’s entrance, has been inoperative since last weekend. The lighthouse’s outage is the result of sabotage that has affected several of its components, according to sources from the Department of Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory of the Generalitat Valenciana, which is responsible for the management of the Torrevieja port.

The same sources have not, however, specified the duration of the outage for this critical maritime signalling system, despite their assertion that efforts are being made to restore it to operational status as soon as feasible.

Sources say one of the purse seine fishing boats that is employed by a wholesale company in San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia) and lands its cargo at the Torrevieja fish market was involved in an accident that resulted in significant damage to its bow. The crew of the boat, which is currently undergoing repairs at the Marina Salinas marina, attributes this incident to the absence of said lighting at the port entrance.

According to other frequent port users, the lighthouse’s green light has been malfunctioning for an extended period. Recently, the lighthouse, which is also referred to as the starboard lighthouse of the Port of Torrevieja, has been subjected to continuous maintenance.

Access is exceedingly restricted

Currently, it is exceedingly challenging for the lighthouse to endure an incident of vandalism. Since November of last year, the entire Levante breakwater, which spans approximately 1,200 linear metres, has been under reconstruction. This renovation is a component of the project to renovate the cantilevered promenade, which extends to the lighthouse tower at the end of the Levante breakwater. The perimeter of the area is enclosed by a fence, and private security personnel are stationed at the facilities to prevent the entry of anglers and pedestrians, who frequently utilise this area for recreational purposes.

Additionally, the construction work has completely dismantled the upper section of the wooden planks that served as the promenade’s foundation. Consequently, accessing the lighthouse is exceedingly challenging unless one proceeds from the stone and concrete blocks to the exterior of the breakwater.

The dimly illuminated lighthouse and the final section of the lighting system that stretches for over 1,400 linear metres and outlines the breakwater itself are both depicted in the images of the dark Levante breakwater that have been released.

The services that supply electricity to the entire port area are also being impacted by the work that has begun to convert the fairgrounds to accommodate the amusement park in the port area.

Communication

The Poniente and Levante lighthouses of Torrevieja are indispensable for guaranteeing the safety of vessels during navigation. Nevertheless, the artisanal fleet’s equipment enables them to navigate without adhering to the lighthouses to identify the port entrance. Numerous other illuminated reference points are now available.

Fishing vessels do not exclusively use lighthouses. The Real Club Náutico, Marina Internacional, and Marina Salinas are the three marinas in Torrevieja, which are home to over 2,000 recreational vessels and yachts. The bay’s mouth is constantly in motion, with boats entering and exiting the area. In addition, dozens of recreational vessels are available for rent, many of which do not require a skipper’s licence. We frequently observe jet skiers and users of various water sports, including paddle surfing. Merchant salt is additionally delivered at the Sal-Poniente dock.

The Generalitat (Catalan Government) oversees approximately thirty port facilities in the Valencian Community. Torrevieja, in conjunction with Dénia, is the most significant of the terminals under its jurisdiction.

The Torrevieja Fishermen’s Association, which is currently awaiting confirmation of its concession from the Generalitat (Catalan Government) and provides unloading services and auctions to the Murcia and Almería purse seine fleet, has not offered any commentary regarding this shortage. Torrevieja fishermen operate exclusively small-scale fishing vessels. The local purser fleet has vanished entirely.

For more than a decade, the port of Torrevieja has been without a maritime captain, a civil servant position that is predominantly responsible for the supervision of traffic safety in maritime waters.

The Guardia Civil has dismantled a criminal network that was specifically dedicated to the purchase of vehicles that were purportedly imported from Germany and Belgium. The authorities have detained two of the three alleged members of the network in the province of Alicante, and two workshops in Elche are implicated in the scheme.

Fake contracts and recordings from abroad were used to deceive the victims of the alleged fraudsters, who attracted them through websites. The economic damage has been quantified at over 200,000 euros, with ten victims across Spain, following the analysis of the information acquired during the investigation. However, investigators do not rule out the possibility of new victims.

The Santa Pola Investigation Area and the Madrid Judicial Police Unit initiated the operations ‘Dasrobimport’ and ‘Bábaros’ on September 11th, 2024, in response to numerous complaints from victims in various regions of the country. These complaints were all associated with a company that operated through two websites and online sales platforms.

The strategy entailed attracting the attention of potential purchasers, obtaining their signature on a contract, and requesting a financial transfer as a reserved payment. Subsequently, new quantities were requested, citing purported logistical issues, but the vehicle was never delivered.

In order to create a more convincing appearance of legitimacy, the purported manager of the organisation even recorded videos from abroad that displayed the vehicles. This move fostered trust among the victims and facilitated the deception. Nevertheless, the investigation disclosed that the addresses specified in the contracts were inaccurate, with some of them being residential addresses in cities such as Santa Pola or Elche, where there was no genuine commercial activity.

Ultimately, on March 11th, a 27-year-old male was apprehended in Aspe, a 37-year-old woman in Torrellano, and a 39-year-old individual in the province of Tarragona. In the municipality of El Vendrell (Tarragona), an investigation was also conducted on a 30-year-old woman.