NTSB investigation continues into Hudson River crash
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NEW YORK (PIX 11) — The six victims of the deadly Hudson River crash were honored at an emotional wreath-laying ceremony in Lower Manhattan Saturday.
Joan Camprubí Montal, the brother of the young wife and mother who died alongside her husband and three children, also spoke out for the first time since the tragedy.
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'I want to understand that they left together,' he said. 'They left without suffering. They left with a smile on their faces.'
Montal addressed the loss of his five family members alongside Mayor Eric Adams. Investigators tell PIX11 News a tour helicopter broke apart midair Thursday and crashed into the water.
The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. Mercedes would have turned 9 on Friday, officials said. The crash also claimed the life of the 36-year-old pilot, Sean Johnson.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed the city's solidarity with the victims' families during this time of unimaginable loss.
'Their sorrow is our sorrow,' Adams said. 'New York City is a family and we consider this as a loss of our family members with unspeakable pain and suffering.'
Saturday night, National Transportation Safety Board officials said divers were still searching for helicopter parts, including the main rotor, main gearbox, and tail rotor. According to the NTSB, the helicopter had its last major inspection on March 1st. NTSB representatives met with the helicopter's operator, New York Helicopter Charter, and reviewed policies and safety procedures as the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
Earlier in the day, NYPD's Harbor Unit members recovered what appeared to be one of the helicopter's doors.
Remi Adeleke served in the Navy with the pilot and said he left a lasting impression on everyone he met.
'He was a great person,' Adeleke said. 'He was always smiling.'
He added, 'He was just a giving, caring person. He genuinely cared about people.'
As New Yorkers continue to mourn this tragic loss, Mayor Adams and the Consul General of Spain joined Montal at the site of the crash, where they laid flowers and a wreath in tribute to the lives lost.
Montal said he's working to bring his family's bodies back to Spain, while Adeleke said Johnson's loved ones are making arrangements to return his body to Chicago, where his mother lives, as they work through the details of his funeral arrangements.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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