Photo: LEONARDO MUNOZ / AFP / Getty Images
A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday (April 10), according to the New York Police Department. The incident occurred near Pier 40, between West Houston Street and West Street, as reported by the New York Post. Emergency services quickly responded to the scene, and the city's Office of Emergency Management urged people to avoid the area due to traffic delays and emergency vehicles.
According to CNN, there were several fatalities in the crash. Rescue workers pulled six bodies from the water, including three children. Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two died at the hospital.
Officials said the aircraft was a tourist helicopter operated by New York Helicopters. There were two adults, three children, and the pilot onboard the helicopter. The helicopter left from a heliport in lower Manhattan just before 3 p.m. and flew up the New York side of the Hudson River until it reached the George Washington Bridge. It then turned around and began flying south along the New Jersey coast. The helicopter then crashed into the water near Pier A Park in Hoboken.
Dominick Cognata told NBC News that he was walking along the West Side Highway when the helicopter crashed.
"It sounded like, like a engine just dying ... and I just turned, I look, and I saw the helicopter crash and splashing to the water," Cognata told NBC News. "It was crazy."
The cause of the crash is currently unknown, and authorities are investigating the incident. The crash was reported shortly after 3 p.m., and emergency boats were seen responding to the scene, as shown in footage from the Citizen app, WNBC reported.
For now, residents and commuters are advised to steer clear of the West Side Highway and Spring Street area.
Photos shared on X appear to show the helicopter floating upside down in the water.
This is a developing story, and more details will be provided as they become available.