New York helicopter crash video: five dead in East River after ‘becoming trapped in safety harnesses’ as helicopter plunges into water

The pilot issued a mayday call shortly before the aircraft was seen sinking into the water.
Chloe Chaplain12 March 2018

Five people have been killed after a helicopter chartered for a photoshoot crashed into New York City's East River.

The pilot managed to scramble to safety and was rescued by a passing boat after the helicopter came down near to mayoral residence Gracie Mansion on Sunday night.

But five other people travelling in the aircraft were killed after they were unable to free themselves from their safety harnesses and escape.

Two of the five passengers died at the scene and three were rushed to local hospitals where they later died, a spokesman for the New York City Police spokesman confirmed on Monday.

Video posted on Twitter shows a red helicopter land hard on the surface of the river before flipping on its side, with its propeller still spinning.

Witnesses said it had been flying noisily before suddenly dropping into the water and sinking fast. According to reports the pilot put out an emergency mayday call shortly before the crash - saying the aircraft was experiencing engine failure.

Crash: The red taillight was still flashing as the aircraft began sunking into the river

After the helicopter sank, the pilot appeared on the surface of the river clinging onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then 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."

New York: Paramedics and members of the NYFD perform CPR on a victim of the crash
REUTERS

"It kind of hit sideways and just flipped over," Brianna Jesme, 22, an Upper East Side resident who witnessed the crash, added.

Celia Skyvaril, 23, told the Daily News that she could see a person on what looked like a yellow raft or float screaming and yelling for help.

Rescue attempt: New York Fire department emergency responders on the scene
EPA

News footage showed one victim being loaded into an ambulance while emergency workers gave him chest compressions.

A bystander, Susan Larkin, said that she went down to see rescue boats in the river and a police helicopter circling overhead, hovering low over the water. "You could clearly see they were searching," she said.

Crash: New York emergency responders on the scene
EPA

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro at a press conference late Sunday described the incident as a “great tragedy” and said it took “a while” for the rescue divers to get the passengers out of the helicopter.

He said when the divers reached the helicopter it was inverted under 50 feet of water that was below four degrees centigrade in temperature.

Crash: Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro speaks during a press conference alongside NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill
REUTERS

He said passengers were tightly harnessed and they had to be cut out of their seats before emergency services could remove them.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Eurocopter AS350 went down near the northern end of Roosevelt Island at about 7 p.m. and was investigating. The National Transportation Safety Board said its investigative team would arrive on Monday.

New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill told reporters the aircraft was registered to Liberty Helicopters, a sightseeing and charter service in New York, and was on a private charter "photo shoot."

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