New video released by the New York City Police Department paints a stark picture of the immediate aftermath of last week’s tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River, an event that claimed the lives of six people – including three young children.
The aerial footage, captured on April 10th, depicts NYPD divers swiftly entering the water from patrol boats and making their way toward the wreckage. The Bell 206 L-4 helicopter was found floating inverted as rescuers worked to locate and retrieve the pilot and five passengers aboard.
Among those lost were Agustin Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three children. The tragedy unfolded along the Jersey City, New Jersey coastline.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, officials explained that the NYPD diving unit was already conducting searches in the river, enabling a rapid response to the crash site.
“The call came over, and we headed to the helicopter crash as quickly as possible,” stated NYPD Scuba Unit Officer Joseph Frevola. “We were there in about eight to 10 minutes.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now leading a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the accident.
Frevola described challenging conditions during the rescue effort, noting, “The current had flipped and [weather conditions were] pretty bad. We were horizontal, holding on to the helicopter, as we were rigging it up to hook up to the crane.”
A significant development in the investigation revealed that the helicopter was not equipped with any flight recorders – a crucial element for determining the cause of such incidents.
- No onboard video or camera recordings were recovered.
- The helicopter’s avionics systems did not retain any data that could be used by investigators.
According to the NTSB, divers located key components of the aircraft including:
- The main fuselage, encompassing both cockpit and cabin areas.
- The forward section of the tail boom.
- Horizontal stabilizer finlets and a vertical fin.
The search for additional wreckage continues, utilizing side-scanning sonar technology.
New York Helicopter Charter Inc., the tour operator, reported that the helicopter underwent its most recent inspection on March 1st and had completed seven tour flights prior to the fatal crash. Authorities are diligently working to establish what led to this devastating event.
