Who was the family in the Hudson River helicopter crash? What we know about the Escobars

USA Today

12-04-2025

Who was the family in the Hudson River helicopter crash? What we know about the Escobars Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive, was joined by his wife and their three young children for a doomed aerial sightseeing tour of New York City.
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Spanish family of five, pilot killed in NYC helicopter crash
A family of five taking a flight over New York City and their pilot were killed after their helicopter crashed into the Hudson river.
The Spanish executive who was killed along with his family Thursday afternoon in a helicopter crash in New York City was on a vacation celebrating his wife's birthday, according to officials.
Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive, was joined by his wife and their three young children for an afternoon sightseeing tour of New York City when the helicopter they were aboard crashed upside down into the Hudson River. Pilot Seankese Johnson was also killed in the crash.
Escobar's company confirmed that he was the victim in the crash, which occurred when the aircraft plummeted into the river separating Manhattan from New Jersey.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and friend, Agustin Escobar, and his beloved family," Siemens CEO Roland Busch said in a social media post on X.
Here's what we know so far about the Escobars and their fateful trip to New York City:
NYC helicopter crash: What we know about victims, what happened
Escobars killed in helicopter crash during NYC sightseeing tour
The helicopter was touring New York City when it fell out of the sky shortly after 3:15 p.m. Thursday and crashed into the Hudson River, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a news conference. The helicopter was identified as a single-engine Bell 206 helicopter operated by sightseeing company New York Helicopter.
The flight path the helicopter was on is a popular sightseeing route around New York City. The family took the excursion while visiting from Spain, Adams said.
Adams said all five members of the family – two adults and three children – and a pilot died. Four were pronounced dead at the scene and two died at hospitals.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said on X Friday morning that the father in the Spanish family was in the U.S. for a business trip before his family flew out to spend a few days in New York City. The family was celebrating the wife and mother's 40th birthday, he added.
Though crews had already pulled the main body of the helicopter from the river, diving operations were expected to continue Friday morning to recover remaining pieces of the wreckage.
Who were the Escobars? What we know about crash victims
Escobar was CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, the train transportation arm of the Germany-based technology company Siemens, the company has confirmed.
Family members named his wife to multiple outlets as Mercè Camprubí Montal, including the New York Times and ABC News. Their children were all under the age of 11, Fulop said in his post on X.
Escobar, 49, was born in Puertollano, a small city in central Spain, Emiliano García-Page, the region's leader, said on social media. García-Page added that the region had in 2023 celebrated him as a 'favorite son.'
Before taking his current role, Escobar was named in 2022 as the chief executive of Siemens Spain, according to a press release from the technology conglomerate. His predecessor, Miguel Ángel López had high praise for Escobar, calling his work "key" to the company's success.
Escobar also previously worked for the technology giant in the United States and Brazil, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Camprubí's LinkedIn profile shows she was an executive with Siemens Energy, a separate company.
Family's remains to be taken back to Spain
Carlos Prieto, a government official, told reporters in Spain that the family's remains would be brought back once a New York judge granted permission to Spanish officials.
Fulop further added that a brother-in-law of the family was due to fly in Friday morning as officials worked with the medical examiner to expedite the release of the bodies back to Spain.
Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, called the incident 'an unimaginable tragedy' in a post on X.
'I share in the grief of the victims' loved ones at this heartbreaking time,' he said.
Helicopter pilot also killed
Pilot Seankese Johnson had only just moved to New York City, according to a Facebook profile. He was from Chicago.
The 36-year-old's profile photo dated to March 28 shows him flying by One World Trade Center. Earlier photos on the public page show him flying by the Willis Tower in his native city.
Johnson was a Navy veteran, according to his Facebook profile.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters on Friday that Johnson had accumulated hundreds of hours of flight time.
He held a commercial pilot certificate, and as of March had 788 hours of total flight time, she said.
Officials do not yet know how much experience he had aboard the Bell helicopter, which is the model that tumbled into the Hudson River on April 11.
What caused the helicopter crash in New York City?
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, along with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Authorities believe the helicopter fell into the water "inverted." Video of the crash appears to show the helicopter plummeting into the water, followed by a detached helicopter blade seconds later.
Why did NYC helicopter crash? No chance of recovery from catastrophic failure, experts say
The helicopter's landing gear could be seen emerging from the water as rescue crews swarmed the area afterward.
When the helicopter crashed, it was cloudy with winds around 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph, according to AccuWeather.
The helicopter was in the Special Flight Rules Area in New York, where no air traffic control services are provided, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a Thursday post on X.
Contributing: Donovan Slack, Trevor Hughes, Eduardo Cuevas, Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY