Local News
Pilot Pictured After Family of Five Killed in Hudson River Helicopter Crash
UPDATE: Authorities have identified the pilot involved in Thursday’s devastating Hudson River helicopter crash as 36-year-old Sean Johnson, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran who had recently relocated to New York City to advance his aviation career.
Pilot in Hudson River Helicopter Crash Identified as Navy SEAL Veteran Sean Johnson, Wife Confirmed
Johnson was piloting a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV when it tragically went down near Jersey City, killing him and all five passengers—a family visiting from Spain.
According to his family, Johnson had proudly shared his passion for flying.
On March 27, just two weeks before the crash, he posted a video of himself flying over Lower Manhattan in the same model helicopter.
The post received congratulations from colleagues and friends, celebrating his progress in the aviation industry. Prior to flying in New York, Johnson had also worked as a pilot in Chicago.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
A tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River on Thursday claimed the lives of a family of five visiting New York City from Barcelona, Spain, along with their pilot.
The family had traveled to the city to celebrate the birthday of one of their young children when the sightseeing tour ended in disaster just minutes after takeoff.
The victims have been identified as Agustín Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three children: Agustín, 10; Mercè, 8 (who would have turned 9 that day); and Víctor, 4.
The family had boarded a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV helicopter operated by New York Helicopter Tours for an aerial view of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty when the aircraft went down into the Hudson around 3:15 p.m., approximately 16 minutes after departing.
According to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, the 36-year-old black male pilot had radioed that the helicopter was running low on fuel and was heading back to base to refuel.
Tragically, the aircraft never made it. Witnesses reported hearing a loud “boom” and saw the helicopter’s rotor blades separate from the aircraft before it plummeted upside down into the river near Pier 40, causing a massive splash.
Emergency responders pulled three victims from the wreckage in traumatic arrest and confirmed that four individuals died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital shortly afterward.
Escobar served as the Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, while Camprubí Montal worked as a Global Commercialization Manager at Siemens Energy. Camprubí was also the granddaughter of Agustí Montal Costa, a former president of FC Barcelona.
Photographs taken prior to the flight show the smiling family standing in front of the ill-fated aircraft—images that now serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the day’s devastating turn.
The wreckage was recovered from the Hudson River later that evening as dive operations and investigations continued into Friday.
In a statement, New York Helicopter Tours CEO Michael Roth expressed profound sorrow over the incident.
“I’m a father and a grandfather — I’m absolutely devastated,” Roth said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in 30 years of being in the helicopter business. Watching the video, the main rotor blades weren’t on the helicopter. I don’t know what happened — it could’ve been a bird strike, or rotor failure. I just don’t know.”
Roth confirmed that the helicopter had been en route to refuel, and the pilot’s radio transmission indicated that he was only minutes from landing when communication ceased.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched a full investigation into the crash to determine the exact cause.
This incident marks another chapter in Manhattan’s troubled history with low-altitude flights over crowded airspace, reigniting debate over the safety and regulation of aerial tourism in New York City.
Local News
Shaun Martin Holt, 37, and Dayna Rae McBride, 36, Killed in Beryl Highway Crash That Also Claimed Two Dogs
A devastating collision on Beryl Highway in Iron County, Utah, has claimed the lives of two people and their two beloved dogs, leaving their families and the surrounding community mourning an unimaginable loss.
Authorities identified the victims as 37-year-old Shaun Martin Holt, who was driving the sedan, and 36-year-old Dayna Rae McBride, his passenger. The two dogs traveling with them inside the vehicle also died at the scene.
According to the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, the fatal crash happened when a sedan traveling eastbound approached an intersection on Beryl Highway and collided with a school bus heading north. The force of the impact caused the bus to overturn, turning the collision into a serious emergency.
Investigators identified Holt and McBride as the two occupants of the sedan who lost their lives in the crash. Their deaths have brought profound sadness to those who knew them, while the loss of their two dogs has added another heartbreaking dimension to the tragedy.
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that the sedan was traveling at a high rate of speed before the collision. However, authorities have not announced a final determination regarding the cause of the crash. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials will need to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
Although the school bus was involved in a serious collision, no children were aboard at the time.
According to the information released, the bus had already completed its student drop-off route for the Escalante Valley Elementary School District. Only the bus driver and a bus aide were inside the vehicle when the crash occurred.
Both were injured and transported to area hospitals for treatment. Their conditions have not been publicly released.
The fact that no students were on the bus was a significant relief amid an otherwise devastating incident. Nevertheless, the driver and aide now face recovery from injuries sustained in the collision.
The Iron County School District released a statement expressing concern for the injured school transportation employees and offering condolences to the families of those who died.
“Our thoughts are with the bus driver and aide who are being treated at area hospitals for their injuries. We also extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the family of those who died in this accident,” the district stated.
The district also noted that this was the third school-bus-related accident reported during the year and the second fatal one in 2026, making the incident particularly painful for the local community.
Authorities continue working to determine exactly what led to the collision at the Beryl Highway intersection. While witness accounts reportedly described the sedan as traveling at a high rate of speed, the precise cause has not yet been officially established.
Investigators will examine the available evidence as they work to reconstruct the events leading up to the crash. Further details may be released as the investigation progresses.
The deaths of Shaun Martin Holt and Dayna Rae McBride represent two lives lost far too soon. They were traveling together with their two dogs when the collision occurred, and all four were lost in the tragedy.
For their loved ones, the loss is immeasurable. Family members and friends are now left with grief, memories, and the difficult task of moving forward without them.
The crash has also affected the school bus driver and aide who were injured, as well as the wider Escalante Valley community.
Please keep the families and friends of Shaun Holt and Dayna McBride in your thoughts, along with the injured bus driver and aide and everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident.
May Shaun Martin Holt, Dayna Rae McBride, and their two beloved dogs rest in peace. May their families find comfort, strength, and support during this difficult time.