What started as a joyful birthday outing quickly turned into an unthinkable tragedy when a Bell 206 helicopter operated by New York Helicopters crashed into the Hudson River at 3:17PM on April 10.
Heartbreaking images shared online captured an eight-year-old birthday girl beaming from the cockpit just before takeoff, excited for a scenic tour over New York City to mark her ninth birthday.
Only 16 minutes into the flight, the aircraft went down near Pier 40 in Lower Manhattan, killing all six people on board.
The young girl, her siblings – aged four and five – and their parents, Agustin Escobar and Merce Camprubi Montal, all died in the crash. The pilot, identified as Navy SEAL veteran Sean Johnson, was also killed.
The family had just flown to New York from Barcelona, Spain, the Daily Mail reported. They were also reportedly celebrating the mom’s 40th birthday.
Escobar was a top executive at Siemens Mobility. His wife, Merce, worked for Siemens Energy in Barcelona as a global commercialization manager.
Juan Ignacio Diaz, a longtime friend and former Siemens colleague of Escobar, described the father as someone who was deeply committed to his wife and children.
“They were everything to him,” he told The New York Post. “He loved his wife and kids so much – he was a loving, fun, and just really cool dad. I’m going to miss him and his family. I love you my friend.”
“He was such a great person – kind, steady, and always there when you needed him,” Diaz added. “No matter how hard things got, he always stayed calm and kept it together. He had this way of making things feel OK, even when they weren’t.”
The aircraft had taken off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59PM, heading north up the Hudson before circling back near the George Washington Bridge. NYPD
All six people onboard were pulled from the wreckage. Four were pronounced dead at the scene, and the remaining two died after being transported to nearby hospitals.
Michael Roth, the 71-year-old owner of New York Helicopter, told The Telegraph the pilot had chillingly radioed in that he was returning to the helipad for fuel.
“He called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive,” Roth said. Another pilot later flew over the Hudson and spotted the wreckage upside down in the water.
Roth described the crash as a catastrophic loss, adding: “The death of any human being is a monumental disaster.”
Haunting footage shows the helicopter spiraling uncontrollably through the air, its rotors missing, before crashing into the Hudson River with a thunderous splash.
The devastating loss has sparked an outpouring of grief on social media. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered his condolences in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing:. “The news reaching us today of the helicopter crash in the Hudson River is devastating.”
“Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, and the pilot have lost their lives,” he said. “An unimaginable tragedy. I share in the grief of the victims’ loved ones at this heartbreaking time.”
The late pilot’s wife, Kathryn Johnson, expressed her heartbreak in a statement to the Gothamist. “I’m just at loss for words. I don’t even know what happened,” she said. “It’s just hard right now.”
His co-pilot, Earl Watters, shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, which read: “With a heavy heart I post this…Thanks to everyone that has reached out to me. Yes, the pilot of the helicopter crash in NY was my Co-Pilot and great friend on Boomer last year, Sean Johnson.
“The world has lost an all-around great person and amazing friend. He definitely changed my life for the better, and I just want to celebrate his life and how he lived. Always and forever a BOOMER crew member. Godspeed, Amigo,” he concluded.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating the cause of the crash.
