Siemens’ Spanish division chief executive Agustin Escobar’s sightseeing tour over New York City ended in tragedy when the helicopter crashed into the Hudson River. Escobar, his wife, and their children, aged four years, five years and 11 years, were killed in the incident, along with the pilot. Notably, less than a month ago, the tech executive visited India and was impressed by the level of innovation in the company’s operations in the country

Images before the incident show the family of five warmly dressed and smiling. X
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A family’s sightseeing tour over New York City ended in tragedy after their helicopter crashed into the Hudson River.

The Bell 206 helicopter , run by New York Helicopter Tours, went down on Thursday.

The crash claimed the lives of Agustin Escobar, a senior Spanish executive at tech firm Siemens, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged four years, five years and 11 years.

The pilot was also killed in the crash, although his identity has yet to be released.

In this report, we take a closer look at Agustin Escobar, his family, and the events that led to the incident.

Who was Agustin Escobar?

The family aboard the helicopter was on a sightseeing flight above Manhattan’s mist-covered shoreline.

Those confirmed dead in the crash included Agustin Escobar, a Siemens executive, and his family, a law enforcement official told CNN.
The crash claimed the lives of Agustin Escobar, his wife, and their three children. X
Details from Escobar’s LinkedIn profile show he was the chief executive of Siemens’ Spanish division.

With over 25 years of global leadership experience, Escobar worked across the energy, infrastructure, and transport sectors, leading teams in the United States, South America, Spain, and Germany.

Escobar studied Electrical Industrial Engineering at Universidad Pontificia Comillas. He later completed an MBA from Universidad de Alcala in 2002, followed by an Executive MBA in Business Administration from IE Business School in 2005, according to his LinkedIn account.

He joined Siemens in 1998 as Head of Sales and Project Management for Power Automation Systems in Spain and remained with the company for more than 27 years.

Throughout his career, he rose through the ranks to take on senior roles, leading several business units and earning multiple Siemens Country Awards. He also contributed to the development of electric vehicle infrastructure in Southwest Europe.
Escobar was the chief executive of Siemens’ Spanish division. LinkedIn/Agustin Escobar)
In 2010, he moved to New York City to lead international business development efforts in North America. He later worked in Bogota, Colombia, where he oversaw a team of more than 1,300 people and managed three manufacturing plants.

In 2016, the unit he led was recognised as Siemens’ best-performing business globally.

He returned to Spain in 2018 to serve as CEO of Siemens Rail Automation SAU and Siemens Mobility SLU, where he led rail projects with a workforce exceeding 1,000.

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From 2019 to 2024, Escobar also headed Siemens Mobility for the Southwest Europe Region, which covered Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece and parts of Africa and managed a team of over 3,000 people.

Who was Merce Camprubi Montal, Agustin Escobar’s wife?

Escobar’s wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, was reportedly employed in a senior global role at an energy firm.

Her LinkedIn profile shows she worked in Barcelona for seven years as a global commercialisation manager at the energy technology company, Siemens Energy.

All three children appeared to be of middle school age or younger, The New York Post reported.

Hudson River helicopter crash: What led to the incident?

The helicopter took off from a downtown Manhattan helipad shortly before 3 pm (local time), heading north along the Hudson River.

Images posted on the New York Helicopter Tours website show the family of five warmly dressed and smiling, both outside and seated inside the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV aircraft.

After reaching the George Washington Bridge, the helicopter turned south and went down minutes later, flipping over before crashing into the water near Lower Manhattan, close to Hoboken, at around 3.15 pm.

Authorities said four people were declared dead at the crash site, while two others died later in hospital.

Footage of the incident captured a large object falling into the river, followed moments later by what looked like a chopper blade.

Rescue and police boats were later seen circling the section of the river where the helicopter had gone under, with only its landing gear visible above the surface.

Witnesses confirmed watching the aircraft fall from the sky and strike the river upside down, while fragments were seen drifting into the water.

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The reason for the crash remains unclear, but its abrupt descent stunned those nearby, as emergency personnel rushed to pull the victims from the river, CNN reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration has said it is looking into the crash, with the National Transportation Safety Board taking charge of the investigation and expected to share further information.

When Agustin Escobar visited India

About a month before the tragic incident, Escobar had posted on LinkedIn about his trip to India. Notably, he frequently used the platform to offer insights into his professional journey.

“What an inspiring week connecting with our talented teams across Bangalore, Pune, and Mumbai,” he posted.

He noted that he was struck by the level of innovation taking place across his company’s operations in India.

“From R&D labs to manufacturing facilities, I witnessed innovation in action at every stop,” he said.

Escobar described meeting his Siemens colleagues as the highlight of the visit, saying he felt genuinely moved by their drive and dedication.

“From town halls to small group discussions, every conversation showed me why India is such a crucial part of our global success story,” he further said.