Helicopter crash: In a tragic incident, six people, including three children, were killed after a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River near Jersey City on Thursday afternoon. The crash occurred around 3:17 pm (US time) close to the Holland Tunnel ventilation shaft, not far from the Water’s Soul sculpture along River Drive South and Newport Parkway.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the deaths, stating that among the victims were a family visiting from Spain and the pilot. “Our hearts go out to the families of all six who were on board the helicopter,” he said.
Hudson River helicopter crash, as an engineer the amount of single points of failure in a helicopter scares the shit out of me.pic.twitter.com/fHyGJ0ZaZb
— ✪ Evil Te𝕏an ✪ (@vileTexan) April 10, 2025
Emergency services responded swiftly. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, teams from aviation, harbor, scuba, and patrol units reached the site within minutes. NYPD and FDNY divers recovered all six victims from the wreckage. Four people were declared dead at the scene, while two others were transported to local hospitals, where they later succumbed to their injuries.
President Donald Trump also reacted to the incident on Truth Social, calling the crash “terrible” and offering prayers to the victims’ families. “The footage of the accident is horrendous,” he wrote.
The aircraft, identified as a Bell 206, was operated by New York Helicopter and had taken off from Lower Manhattan around 3 p.m. Flight records show the helicopter flew over Governor’s Island and the Statue of Liberty, before heading up the Hudson River and returning south on the New Jersey side, where it ultimately crashed.
The chopper was reportedly owned by Meridian Helicopters, a Louisiana-based brokerage company. Investigations into the cause of the crash are underway, led by the FAA and the NTSB. The Coast Guard has declared a safety zone in the river, halting vessel traffic for a mile in both directions, which has impacted ferry services.
Weather conditions at the time included 50°F water temperature, overcast skies, 10-mile visibility, and wind gusts reaching 21 mph.
Michael Roth, CEO of New York Helicopter, expressed grief over the crash, stating the company is “devastated” and cooperating fully with investigators.