Flowers on Hudson for Six Killed in Deadly Helicopter Crash
A family of five and a pilot were killed when their sightseeing helicopter, which took off from downtown Manhattan, plunged into the Hudson River just off of Hoboken on April 10.
| 15 Apr 2025 | 04:50
Less than 20 minutes after boarding a sightseeing helicopter on April 10 at the Skyport in downtown Manhattan, six people, including a family of five from Barcelona, Spain, and a pilot, were killed when the chopper crashed upside down into the Hudson River.
Mayor Eric Adams escorted family members of the victims aboard an NYPD police boat to the Jersey side of the Hudson River on April 12 to lay flowers on the water near the site of the deadly crash that killed the family that included: Agustin Escobar, CEO of a division of Siemens in Spain; Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, Victor, Mercedes, and Agustin. The sixth victim was the 36-year-old helicopter pilot, Sean Johnson, a Navy SEAL veteran.
Joan Camprubi Montal, brother of the mom who died with her husband and three children, said he was overwhelmed with the support he’s received since arriving from Spain. “This is a really difficult situation, but we are overwhelmed with the massive condolences we received, and this is probably because the Escobar-Camprubi family was a really loved family, so thank you for that, to all of you.
“I want to remember that they left together, they left without suffering, and they left with a smile on their faces and that’s important for us,” Camprubi Montal said. “As a family, we want to remind and honor their happiness and their smiles forever.”
Speaking in Spanish, he said of his sister, “We will never forget, and we will keep your smile alive every day in our lives, and I think that is the best legacy we can give you.”
”We just dropped flowers today as a symbolic gesture for the loss of life,” said Adams. “What should have been a joyful vacation turned into unimaginable tragedy,” He was joined on the excursion by the Spanish Consul General Marta de Blas Mayordomo.
”We mourn the loss of Agustin, Merce, and their three beautiful children, Victor, Mercedes, and Agustin,” Adams said. “Our hearts are broken.
”We also want to acknowledge that we dropped flowers for Sean Johnson, the pilot,” Adams said. “He was a Navy SEAL. He fought to defend this country, and we want to acknowledge him and his wife Kathryn for her loss, and our prayers are with all of the family members involved. . . . ”
The helicopter, from New York Helicopter Tours, took off on what should have been a routine tour of the majestic New York City skyline around 2:59 p.m. on April 10. Shortly before 3:17 p.m. all on board died when the rotors appeared to stop suddenly in mid-air and separate from the fuselage, causing the helicopter to plunge upside down into the frigid river.
First responders from the FDNY and NYPD raced across the Hudson and reached the scene of the crash within minutes, but nobody could be saved.
Two of the family members were celebrating birthdays before perishing on the doomed helicopter. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop wrote on X that Camprubi Montal was one of them, celebrating her 40th birthday this week.
On the day of the tragic flight, the Bell 206 helicopter first flew south toward the Statue of Liberty, then north along the Manhattan shoreline to the George Washington Bridge, before turning around at about 3:08pm and heading south along the New Jersey shoreline, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
According to reports, the pilot had radioed that he needed to refuel only moments before the helicopter plunged into the Hudson just off the coast of Hoboken, NJ, shortly before 3:17pm.
New York State Senator Brad-Hoylman said crashing into the Hudson so close to the homes on land in Hoboken and in Manhattan a few miles east meant a greater disaster was averted “by minutes.” He has called for banning tourism helicopter flights around the city.
Mayor Adams, however, said he was not on board with that push.
“What we must do is make sure it’s safe, make sure it’s done correctly, and make sure that all proper maintenance is put in place,” he said in an appearance on Good Day New York. “And so I’m not looking to stop or advocate to stop it from happening. Air travel is important. We’re get[ting] ready to move to electric helicopters. That is the way of the future. And so air travel is crucial to this city and we need to make sure it’s done safely.”
Video of the crash showed that the tail rotor and the main rotor appeared to snap off from the helicopter seconds before the crash.
Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter, said his whole company was “devastated” by the tragedy and wondered if there had been a bird strike that caused the rotors to break off from the helicopter or some other mechanical malfunction that caused the rotors to jam and snap off.
A representative for New York Helicopters told the New York Post the company is “not operating until further notice.”
The cause of the crash was still not known days after the fatal tragedy. The FBI and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, trying to piece together the facts to determine the cause of the crash.
“What should have been a joyful vacation turned into unimaginable tragedy.”— Mayor Eric Adams
“We will never forget and we will keep your smile alive every day in our lives, and I think that is the best legacy we can give you.” Joan Camprubi Montal, brother of the mom who perished with her husband and their three children.