Six people lost their lives on Thursday when a helicopter went down in the Hudson River, prompting a major emergency response across the waters separating Lower Manhattan from Jersey City.
Reports indicated that several children were aboard the aircraft, which had a total of six people on board—five passengers and the pilot. According to ABC News, the passengers were a family of five visiting from Spain.
Authorities confirmed that some of those on board were recovered from the river, including a young child who was receiving CPR from first responders.
The helicopter reportedly crashed nearer to the Jersey City side of the river. Eyewitnesses saw emergency crews pulling victims from the water and rushing them to nearby hospitals in New Jersey.
The New York City Fire Department stated that its land and water units were actively searching the crash area, though all rescue missions have since been concluded.
A major operations hub was established near Pier 40 in Manhattan to support the response efforts. Meanwhile, a fleet of emergency vessels operated near Jersey City, close to the Holland Tunnel, with personnel from city, state, and federal agencies working along both riverbanks.
According to the FDNY, they were alerted around 3:15 p.m. about a helicopter that had crashed into the Hudson off Pier 40 at West Houston Street. First responders had to battle tough weather conditions, including wind, choppy waves, and light rainfall as they carried out their mission.
Clips posted online showed the Bell 206 helicopter flipped over and mostly submerged in the water. While details on the operator and the identities of those on board weren’t immediately available, the area is frequently used by sightseeing helicopters.
One bystander on the Manhattan side described seeing the helicopter heading south before suddenly tilting at a 45-degree angle and vanishing into the water in just seconds.
At approximately 5 p.m., parts of the helicopter’s landing skids were visible from the shoreline in Jersey City, located near an NYPD vessel. It remains unclear whether the helicopter floated there or was moved, but it was still upside down.
This incident is the latest in a series of helicopter and aircraft crashes in the region. In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter collided with a small plane over the Hudson, killing nine people, and in 2018, a charter helicopter offering “open door” rides crashed into the East River, resulting in five fatalities.
{Matzav.com}
