6 Dead in Helicopter Crash Off Manhattan

A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, around Pier 40 and the West Side Highway today. Emergency personnel were quickly on the scene with a rescue efforts, but incident killed six people aboard, according to The Associated Press.

The incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. According to The New York Times, the deceased are believed to be a family of five from Spain as well as the helicopter pilot. Their identities were not immediately available. 

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Photos and videos quickly surfaced on social media showing the copter plummeting into the water, followed by emergency boats swarming the downed vessel. Witnesses told The New York Post that the chopper appeared to have "split in half," apparently suffering from a broken propeller. The exact cause of the malfunction has yet to be determined.

Data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24 indicates that the helicopter took off from lower Manhattan's Downtown Sky Port on a sightseeing excursion. It circled Governor's Island and flew north up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge before turning back. It crashed on the way south, just off Jersey City, NJ.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said in a post on X that the city's emergency personnel were taking the lead on the investigation until it is handed off to the National Transportation Safety Board. 

“Our hearts go out to the families of those who were onboard,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “All six have been removed from the water, and sadly all six victims have been pronounced deceased,” he added.