CEO, football royalty, and a dream NYC birthday: The high-flying family lost in Hudson helicopter horror

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, expressed his condolences on social media, calling it an “unimaginable loss” and offering support to the victims’ loved ones.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene after receiving a 3.15 pm call about the crash of a Bell 306 helicopter just off Manhattan’s West Side. Witnesses described seeing the aircraft disintegrate in midair before plunging into the Hudson.

A recovery operation was quickly launched but had to be suspended overnight due to poor conditions. It resumed at first light Friday morning, with divers retrieving the helicopter’s wreckage from the icy waters.

A crane vessel lifts the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Later that day, New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the devastating news that all six occupants had perished. Officials said the family had booked the flight as a birthday surprise.

Escobar and Camprubí Montal were accomplished business figures with strong ties to both industry and sport, including a family connection to the leadership of FC Barcelona.

Who was Agustin Escobar?

Escobar had a decorated 27-year career at Siemens, holding leadership roles across Spain, North America, and Latin America. He led key rail infrastructure projects and oversaw operations involving thousands of employees.

He earned a degree in Electrical Industrial Engineering from Universidad Pontificia Comillas, followed by an MBA from Universidad de Alcalá in 2002, and an Executive MBA from IE Business School in 2005, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Starting his career in 1998 as Head of Sales and Project Management for Power Automation Systems in Spain, Escobar steadily rose through the ranks, leading multiple business units and receiving several Siemens Country Awards. He also contributed to electric vehicle infrastructure projects across Southwest Europe.

Debris floats in the water at the scene where a helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

In 2010, he relocated to New York City to lead international business development across North America. He later moved to Bogotá, Colombia, managing over 1,300 employees and three factories. Under his leadership, his division was recognised as Siemens’ best-performing global unit in 2016.

After a successful global stint, he returned to Spain in 2018 to head Siemens Mobility in the Southwest Europe region. He was widely regarded for his strategic vision and contributions to mobility innovation.

Who was Mercè Camprubí Montal?

On the other hand, Mercè Camprubí Montal, a native of Barcelona, also held a senior position at Siemens. At the time of her death, she was serving as a global commercialisation manager, a role she had held for just over three years.

According to a report by BBC, she hailed from a prominent Barcelona family known for its influence in textile manufacturing and its historic ties to FC Barcelona. Her great-grandfather, Agustí Montal Galobart, led the club in the late 1940s and early 1950s, while her grandfather, Agustí Montal Costa, presided over a celebrated era that saw the arrival of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff in 1973.

Her brother, Joan Montal, briefly emerged as a potential candidate for the FC Barcelona presidency last year, although his bid has since lost momentum. Both Mrs Camprubí Montal and Mr Escobar had international careers, with Mr Escobar recently sharing LinkedIn updates about visits to the UK and India, describing his passion for building high-performing teams that “positively transform people and organisations”.

In this photo taken from video, a helicopter falls from the sky into the Hudson River , Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (Bruce Wall via AP)

Jersey City mayor Steve Fulop said in a post to X on Friday that Escobar was in New York for work, and his family joined him for some leisure time.

“I’m sharing this because life moves quick and we don’t always think about the fact it is unpredictable and extremely fragile,” he wrote.

“The husband was here for a business trip and the family flew out to extend the trip a couple days in NYC. They were celebrating the mom’s 40th birthday with the tourist helicopter flight.”

Fulop said a relative was arriving from Spain on Friday to take home the family members’ remains.

Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, reacted to the tragic crash, saying: “Reading with horror that the victims of the awful helicopter accident in the US were Agustín Escobar and his family. I met him over the past year in his capacity at Siemens Spain. He was a charming, hard-working and talented person.”