A Spanish executive who died along with four members of his family in a helicopter crash near New York City on Thursday was a top Siemens official whose international career was celebrated in his homeland.
The Consulate General of Spain in New York confirmed on Friday that five Spanish citizens — two parents and their three children — had died in the crash. Spanish officials identified the executive as Agustín Escobar.
Officials have not named his wife or their children.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain described the accident — in which a sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River, killing everyone onboard — as “an unimaginable tragedy.”
“I share the grief of the victims’ loved ones at this heartbreaking time,” Mr. Sánchez said on social media in the early hours of Friday.
The helicopter was touring New York City when it tumbled out of the sky and crashed into the river.
Two of the passengers were alive when divers pulled them from the frigid water, but they later died, New York City’s police commissioner, Jessica S. Tisch, said at a news conference.
The pilot was also killed.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, the police commissioner said.
Mr. Escobar was born in Puertollano, a small city in central Spain, Emiliano García-Page, the region’s leader, said on social media. The region had celebrated his achievements in 2023, naming him a “favorite son.”
On Friday morning, Mayor Miguel Ángel Ruiz of Puertollano said in a statement that the city “mourns the loss of one of its most brilliant sons.”
Mr. Escobar led Siemens’ rail infrastructure division from the company’s Berlin office, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he was the president and chief executive of Siemens Spain and previously worked for the technology giant in the United States and Brazil.
John Yoon and Rachel Chaundler contributed reporting.
