At least five people were killed and the search continues for a sixth after a helicopter carrying a family of tourists from Spain crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon.
The helicopter was carrying a pilot, two adults and three children, according to law enforcement sources. The family members were tourists from Spain, sources said.
In addition to the tourist family of five, a pilot was also on board, for a total of six people. It is not yet clear who has not yet been found.
Officials said the conditions of the survivors were grave. They were taken to a local hospital.
Video shared with New York ABC station WABCappeared to show pieces of the helicopter break apart and crash into the water.
A witness told Eyewitness News that he saw the helicopter crash.
“I heard a loud snap … I looked over … and I could see a helicopter falling on its side and splash into the water,” the witness said. “I didn’t see anyone come out.”
Dani Horbiack told ABC News she watched the helicopter “fall out of the sky” from her apartment window.
“I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river,” Horbiack said.
“It sounded like a sonic boom,” a witness told WABC. He said he saw the “helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off.”
The helicopter was upside-down in the 50-degree water when rescuers arrived to the scene, which was closer to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to sources.
The Coast Guard said it’s stopped boat traffic in the area and is among the agencies responding.
At least 32 people have died in helicopter crashes in NYC since 1977 — most recently in 2019 when a helicopter used for executive travel hit the roof of Manhattan skyscraper in restricted airspace and the pilot was killed.
