Last Photos of the Family That Died in the Hudson River Helicopter Crash Revealed

Before their tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, a CEO and his family posed for images outside and inside the aircraft. These foreboding images would be their last.

According to reports, on the afternoon of April 10, 2025, tragedy struck in Manhattan when a New York sightseeing helicopter crashed, killing six people. Officials said the aircraft was carrying a family from Spain, including a top executive of the global technology company Siemens.

The last photos from the former CEO of the Spanish branch of Siemens and his family have since been released. In one image, Agustin Escobar, the former President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Siemens in Spain, posed with his wife and their three children outside the helicopter.

His wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, is a global manager at an energy technology company. The family, all smiles and dressed warmly, embraced each other in the image. The second picture showed them posing inside the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter, strapped in safely as the CEO and his son held their thumbs up.

The other victim in the crash was the pilot. Speaking at a news conference, Jessica S. Tisch, New York City’s police commissioner, revealed some critical information about the crash. She shared that two of the passengers were still alive when divers pulled them from the water but later died.

The couple’s children were believed to be in middle school or younger. Escobar and his family were tourists visiting from Barcelona, Spain, and had just arrived in New York when they took the fatal flight. Witnesses recalled seeing the aircraft “split in half” and make “a boom sound” before it crashed.

Bruce Wall, 28, a Jersey City resident, shared, “It was falling apart probably 15 feet before it actually fell and [sic] then the tail whipped off and the propeller fell while it was falling.” The aircraft crashed upside-down into the Hudson River.

When first responders arrived at the scene of the incident, the helicopter was missing its rotors. It had plunged into the river around 3:15 p.m. near Pier 40 in Manhattan, close to the Hoboken border of New Jersey.

The devastating accident ended a family’s trip before it truly began, leaving a deep mark on all who witnessed the tragedy. Investigations into the crash are ongoing as authorities seek answers.

Juan Ignacio Diaz, someone who used to work with Escobar remembered him fondly. Diaz shared, “He was such a great person — kind, steady, and always there when you needed him.”

He continued, “He was a loyal friend, someone you could really count on,” adding, “No matter how hard things got, he always stayed calm and kept it together. He had this way of making things feel OK, even when they weren’t.”

Diaz also noted, “And he never forgot what mattered most — his family.” Escobar was also described as fun, loving, and a “really cool dad,” with his former colleague concluding, “I’m going to miss him and his family. I love you my [sic] friend.”

Escobar, who had more than 10,000 followers on LinkedIn, revealed on his profile that he had over 25 years of international experience in the energy, infrastructure, and transportation sectors. He had led businesses and teams in the US, South America, Spain, and Germany.

The CEO revealed that Germany is where he served as the Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure en Siemens Mobility. Escobar showed his love for his job, saying, “Im passionate about innovation and digitalization with sustainability at the core, as well as about developing high performing teams to positively transform people and organizations. [sic]”

The late executive worked as Spain’s President and CEO of Siemens for one year and 11 months, from December 2022 until October 2024. He then moved to work for the company in Berlin, Germany, and had been in the position since.

Escobar worked at Siemens for 27 years and four months.

His wife had a Facebook account where she uploaded images of her family during different stages and events in their lives. Her account had 546 friends but appeared inactive.

The tourist company that took the family on the flight is called New York Helicopter. The company’s website said they have tours departing from Manhattan or New Jersey.

New York City flight packages include The Liberty, The Central Park, and The Grand Tour. The Liberty provides flights lasting approximately 12 to 15 minutes, offering views of the Hudson River and other sites in lower Manhattan.

The Central Park Tour takes around 17 to 19 minutes, giving tourists views of the most famous sites in New York City. The last short flight takes around 20 to 25 minutes and offers an exclusive tour of the city.

As previously reported, the Jersey City Police Department is leading the investigation into the helicopter that went down on the Jersey City side of the Hudson River. A detail from the video of the crash has since sparked online attention.

As footage of the tragic Hudson River helicopter crash began circulating online, viewers noticed one particular thing that wasn’t there. The apparent absence of the object sparked a flurry of speculation and alarm across social media.

Six people lost their lives on Thursday, April 10, after a sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River in New York at 3:17 p.m., triggering an urgent rescue effort. Two of the victims were rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but sadly did not survive.

The victims were later identified as Agustin Escobar, a Siemens executive from Barcelona, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, ages four, five, and 11. The family was visiting from Spain, and the 36-year-old pilot also died in the crash.

As news of the tragedy broke and video footage of the crash circulated online, many viewers fixated on a disturbing detail, the apparent absence of the helicopter’s tail

One person, scanning the wreckage closely, asked the question many others were thinking, “Where is the tail? Tail rotor??” Another individual commented with growing concern, “Looks like the rotor and tail is off. Horrible.”

After watching the footage several times, one viewer pointed out, “From the videos I saw, it looked like the Tail Boom, Tail Rotor & Rudder was not there when it went down. Has anyone seen any video of how it was lost? Did it hit something before it went down??”

The mystery deepened as someone else chimed in,“Clearly came in contact with something..the whole tail is missing.”

For one person, the moment felt surreal and deeply unsettling, as they wrote, “I find it completely crazy that the tail end of the helicopter just snapped off as it flew thru [sic] the air. Witnesses said the helicopter hit nothing, it just made a loud boom noise and then the tail end broke off and fell into the Hudson with the chopper falling suit. How does that happen?”

One comment took the discussion further, raising serious concerns, “When a tail and main rotor separate mid-air, that’s not a minor mechanical issue; that’s catastrophic. Helicopters don’t just fall apart like that unless there’s serious negligence or… something more deliberate.”

The person went on to explain, “They are required to do checks before taking off. It sounds like someone loosened the nuts and bolts of the tail and main rotor…that’s the first thing I noticed when I saw the footage.”

As investigations continue, the internet remains fixated on the missing tail, a detail that, for many, feels too critical to ignore. The investigation into the devastating helicopter crash is now being led by the Jersey City Police Department, as the aircraft went down on the Jersey City side of the Hudson River.

In response to the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a temporary suspension of all flight operations in the area surrounding the crash site.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also stepped in, dispatching a team of investigators, commonly known as a “go-team”, who arrived Thursday night. Meanwhile, New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the helicopter involved belonged to New York Helicopters.

According to the FAA, the aircraft was a Bell 206, which took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m. It flew north toward the George Washington Bridge before heading back south along the New Jersey side of the river.

The helicopter went off radar at approximately 3:25 p.m. The entire flight lasted just 15 minutes before the aircraft plunged into the river in a dramatic nosedive.

Video footage shared with news outlets captured the horrifying moment the aircraft broke apart midair before crashing into the river. Officials later confirmed the helicopter struck the water upside down, missing both its tail rotor and a main rotor blade.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop reported that the main body of the helicopter had been recovered and transported to the Army Corps of Engineers facility on Chapel Avenue. However, significant portions of the aircraft are still missing.

Recovery operations, including dive efforts led by the NYPD and New Jersey State Police, are expected to continue Friday morning, April 11. On Thursday night, a crane vessel lifted the mangled remains of the helicopter from the river and placed it onto a barge.

Police also collected debris that had drifted to the shore, including jagged metal, a life vest, a passenger seat, and personal belongings believed to belong to the Spanish family who perished in the crash.

For those who witnessed the crash, it was a chilling scene. “I watched it fall out of the sky! I heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river,” recalled Dani Horbiak, who observed the crash from her apartment window.

Another witness, Bruce Wall, said, “I heard some crackling, looked up and then just saw a plane falling apart. And then maybe 15 feet in the air after the tail came off, broke off, and then the plane just sort of tumbled into the water with the propeller still in the air.”

Emergency responders from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and NYPD were quick to react after the crash occurred, with divers entering the water almost immediately to assist in the rescue and recovery effort.

“Our hearts go out to the family and those on board,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a statement following the crash. The public remains in shock, with grief now accompanied by a growing demand for answers.