An eerie photograph shows a happy family just before they perish in a helicopter accident.
Agustin Escobar, a senior executive at Siemens Mobility, his wife, and their three children perished in a tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River in New York on Thursday, April 10.
The family reportedly took a tour flight earlier that day after arriving from Barcelona, Spain. Tragic events occurred shortly after.
According to witnesses, the Bell 206 plane seemed to lose its rotors before crashing into the water close to Manhattan’s Pier 40. The collision occurred at around 3:15 PM in New Jersey, close to the Hoboken border, according to the FDNY.
The pilot, whose identity remains undisclosed, also lost his life in the event.
On the website of New York Helicopter Tours, there are heartbreaking pictures of Escobar, his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children grinning in front of the plane. Another photo shows them buckled up in their seats just prior to the collision.
According to officials, the chopper nosedived into the river after breaking apart in midair. Four of the six passengers died at the scene.
Following their hospitalization, the other two succumbed to their wounds.
Investigations are still ongoing to determine what caused the devastating crash.
According to his LinkedIn page, Escobar, who was recently appointed Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, brought 25 years of international expertise to the position.
In the past, he oversaw businesses in Germany, Spain, South America, and the United States. He was CEO of Siemens Spain for two years prior to his most recent role.
When Siemens appointed him to that role, Miguel Ángel López, his predecessor, said Escobar’s efforts were “key to Siemens’ success in the field of mobility and transport.”
Merce Camprubi Montal, his wife, also played a major leadership role. She spent seven years in Barcelona as a global commercialization manager for Siemens Energy, according to the New York Post.
People who knew the family described the three children as happy and close-knit, and they were all believed to be middle school age or younger.
“He was such a great person – kind, steady, and always there when you needed him,” Juan Ignacio Diaz, a longtime friend and former Siemens colleague, said. “He was a loyal friend, someone you could really count on.”
Diaz remembered how Escobar juggled his rigorous work schedule with an unwavering commitment to his family.
“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 said. “And he never forgot what mattered most – his family.”
“He loved his wife and kids so much – they were everything to him,” Diaz added. “He was a loving, fun, and just really cool dad. I’m going to miss him and his family. I love you my friend.”
International attention was also drawn to the tragedy, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his sorrow for the family’s loss in a touching letter posted on X.
“The news reaching us today of the helicopter crash in the Hudson River is devastating,” Sánchez posted. “Five Spaniards from the same family, three of them children, and the pilot have lost their lives.”
“An unimaginable tragedy. I share in the grief of the victims’ loved ones at this heartbreaking time,” he added.
All those impacted by this tragedy are in our thoughts.
