The couple, both top executives at Siemens, were on a sightseeing trip with their young children when tragedy struck. The pilot, whose identity has not yet been released, was also killed in the crash, BBC reports.

Family of five Spanish tourists—Agustín Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their children aged 4, 5 and 11—and their pilot have died after their helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City.

The couple, both top executives at Siemens, were on a sightseeing trip with their young children when tragedy struck. The pilot, whose identity has not yet been released, was also killed in the crash, BBC reports.

“All were onboard the helicopter at the time of the crash, which is under investigation,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “Our hearts go out to the families.”

The Bell 206 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopters, took off from Downtown Skyport in lower Manhattan at 14:59 local time (19:59 BST). It lost control after turning near the George Washington Bridge and plunged into the Hudson River around 15:17 EDT (20:17 GMT).

Footage captured the aircraft flipping upside down before slamming into the river. Eyewitnesses reported seeing debris fall and rushed to the waterfront as sirens filled the air.

"I looked outside my window. I saw a few people running towards the water, and some people were acting pretty normal. So I was like oh, it might not be anything. Then I started to hear all the sirens come outside," said Jersey City resident Jenn Lynk.

“I saw, like, black particles flying,” another resident, Ipsitaa Banigrhi, told CBS. “Again, I thought maybe it's just like, dust, or birds, and then we heard all the emergency vehicles and sirens go by, and I think that's when it was like, OK, what's happening.”

Emergency response was swift. “Swimmers were in the water shortly after the call,” New York Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said.

Despite immediate rescue and life-saving efforts, four victims were pronounced dead at the scene and two others at a nearby hospital.

Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter Charter Inc, said, “I’m a father, a grandfather and my wife hasn’t stopped crying since this afternoon.” When asked about the aircraft’s maintenance, he said, “It’s my director of maintenance who deals with that.”

President Trump reacted on Truth Social, writing, “God bless the families and friends of the victims.”

The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The Bell 206 is commonly used for tourism, news coverage, and police work.

The tragedy echoes past incidents in New York, including a 2018 East River crash that killed five and a 2009 collision over the Hudson River that claimed nine lives.