Siemens executive, wife and 3 kids ID'd as Hudson River helicopter crash victims

A top Siemens AG executive from Spain, along with his wife and three children, have been identified as being among the six victims who died when a helicopter plunged into New York City's Hudson River on Thursday. The helicopter's 36-year-old pilot also perished.Agustin Escobar worked for the German global technology company for more than 27 years, most recently as global CEO for rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, a Siemens spokesperson told Fox News Digital. He was also vice president of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain since 2023, per his LinkedIn account.Escobar's wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, worked for energy technology company Siemens Energy as a global commercialization manager, the spokesperson said. Siemens Energy is no longer part of Siemens AG, though Siemens AG still holds a stake in it. 6 DEAD, INCLUDING 3 CHILDREN, AFTER HELICOPTER PLUMMETS INTO HUDSON RIVER"We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives," the Siemens spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones."Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the incident as "devastating" and an "unimaginable tragedy," in a translated post on X. "I share in the grief of the victims' loved ones at this heartbreaking time."Spanish regional government officials said the family resided in Barcelona. The children were aged 4, 5 and 11, according to reports. NTSB CALLS FOR BAN ON SOME HELICOPTER ROUTES NEAR REAGAN AIRPORT AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION THAT KILLED 67 PEOPLEThe family was on vacation in New York City and were on a helicopter tour of Manhattan when tragedy struck. Heartbreaking photos obtained by Fox News showed the family smiling as they prepared to board the doomed chopper just before take-off.At around 3:17 p.m., eyewitness video shows the body of the aircraft tumbling through the air and into the water upside down near the shoreline of Jersey City, New Jersey. The aircraft’s main and rear rotor appeared to have been detached and could be seen splashing into the water.A cause of the crash has yet to be determined and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed they are looking into the deadly incident.The aircraft, a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, was operated by New York Helicopter Tours, with the company's flights departing from both Manhattan and New Jersey. Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, told The Telegraph that the pilot had said he needed fuel before the crash. The pilot has yet to be identified."He [the pilot] 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 told the outlet, adding, "We’re all devastated."Roth told the New York Post he had nOt seen anything like it in his 30 years being in the helicopter business. "The only thing I could guess — I got no clue — is that it either had a bird strike or the main rotor blades failed. I have no clue. I don’t know," he told the outlet."This is horrific," Roth added. "But you gotta remember something, these are machines and they break."The Bell 206 helicopter took off from the downtown Manhattan heliport at 2:59 p.m., according to flight tracking software and a statement from the FAA, The aircraft flew south, before turning to fly north along the Manhattan shoreline up the Hudson River.At 3:08 p.m., the helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge and then turned again to fly south along the New Jersey shoreline.  Shortly after, the aircraft lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the shore near Hoboken. There were no known adverse weather conditions that might have caused the crash and the water temperature in the Hudson River is in the mid 40’s, according to FOX Weather.The Army Corps of Engineers announced just before 10 p.m. it had salvaged the helicopter.President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday night to offer his condolences."Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River," Trump wrote. "The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!"Just after 8 p.m., Duffy took to X to share that no air traffic control services were being provided when the helicopter crashed."We pray for the victims and their families. Here’s what we know: The tour helicopter was in the Special Flight Rules Area established in New York which means no air traffic control services were being provided when the helicopter crashed," Duffy wrote in the post. "Several minutes prior to entering the Special Flight Rules Area, Air Traffic Control from LaGuardia airport was providing support."Duffy added his agency was launching a Safety Review Team on Thursday night and would provide updates as they become available.Prior to the Hudson River crash on Thursday, the NTSB reported 211 helicopter accidents in the past two years, 37 of which were fatal. Since 1965, 36 crashes have occurred in nearby New York City, 11 of which were fatal.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESSIn 2019, two helicopters crashed in New York City.One of the helicopters hit the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper in restricted airspace, killing the pilot, according to a report from The Associated Press.The other helicopter went into the Hudson River and sank while being maneuvered at a heliport, but the pilot escaped.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei FOX Business Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei FOX Business