‘They left together.’ Brother of Hudson River helicopter crash victim addresses outpouring of support
The bodies of the family of five will be moved back to Spain where they will be laid to rest.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke at Pier 40 about the “unimaginable tragedy” that befell a helicopter pilot and a family of five visiting from Spain who were killed Thursday in a helicopter crash into the Hudson River.
News 12 reported that Agustin Escobar, CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, was on a business trip he extended to celebrate the 40th birthday of his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal and one of his three children's ninth birthday.
"They left together. They left without suffering. And they left with a smile on their faces and that’s important for us,” said Joan Camprubí Montal, Mercè's brother. “As a family, we want to remind and honor their happiness and their smile forever."
More information has been released about the helicopter pilot killed in the crash. He's been identified as 36-year-old Sean Johnson.
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"He was a Navy SEAL. He fought to defend this country, and we want to acknowledge him and his wife, Kathleen, for her loss," the mayor said.
The NTSB is investigating what caused the helicopter to crash.
NTSB news conference on the fatal Hudson River helicopter crash
The bodies of the family of five will be moved back to Spain where they will be laid to rest.
The National Transportation Safety Board released new information and images Saturday evening about its investigation into the crash.
The NTSB said NYPD divers continued to search for missing pieces of the Bell 206 L-4 helicopter in the water.
Investigators also began to evaluate the helicopter's flight control system. It said the helicopter's last major inspection was on March 1. The aircraft had completed seven tour flights before the accident.
The agency said NYPD divers will be back in the Hudson River Sunday to continue their search for missing helicopter parts.
