5 killed in NYC helicopter crash
NEW YORK (AP) — All five passengers aboard a helicopter that crashed into New York City’s East River were confirmed dead early yesterday morning by a NYPD spokesman.
The pilot was able to escape the Sunday night crash after the aircraft flipped upside down in the water, officials said. He was rescued by a tugboat.
The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence.
Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.
The passengers were recovered by police and fire department divers, who had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.
Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding onto a flotation device as police boats approached.
“It’s cold water. It was sinking really fast,’’ Mary Lee, 66, told the New York Post. “By the time we got out here, we couldn’t see it. It was underwater.’’
Celia Skyvaril, 23, told the Daily News that she could see a person on what looked like a yellow raft and yelling for help.