Who was Agustin Escobar? Siemens CEO killed in Hudson river helicopter crash

Agustin Escobar and his family died in a helicopter crash in New York’s Hudson River (Picture: Getty)

Siemens executive Agustin Escobar,along with his wife and three children,have died in a helicopter crash just outside of Manhattan.

The Spanish executive had been on a sightseeing trip with his family when their helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed upside-down in New York.

His wife Merce Camprubi Montal,and their three children – aged 4,5,and 11 – perished alongside him and the captain when the helicopter went down.

The flight,which took the aircraft north along the Manhattan skyline and then back south toward the Statue of Liberty,lasted less than 18 minutes.

By the time it crashed while heading south,it had no rotor or propellers,with eyewitnesses claiming to have seen it disintegrate as it came down.

The Spanish CEO and his wife had both worked for Siemens,a large German tech company which focuses on industrial automation,energy,rail transport and health tech.

The couple shared three children together (Picture: Facebook)

Who was Augustin Escobar and how long had he been at Siemens?

According to his LinkedIn,he had worked at Siemens for more than 27 years,first starting in 1998 as Head of Sales and Project Management for Power Automation Systems in Spain.

Before his death,he had moved up in the company,working in cities such as Bogota,Colombia and New York City before moving back to Spain in 2018.

He then took on the role of chief executive in Spain for Siemens but was also named vice president of the German Chamber for Commerce for Spain in 2023.

Miguel Ángel López,the former head of Siemens Spain,said of Escobar: ‘His work has been key to Siemens’ success in the field of mobility and transport.’

He previously cited his family as an ‘endless source of energy and happiness,unconditional support love … and patience’ on his social media.

Escobar shared three children with his wife,Montal.

Siemens said in a statement today: ‘We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones.’

Who was his wife?

This is one of the last known photos of the family before takeoff (Picture: New York Helicopter Tours)

Little information has been released about his wife,Merce Camprubi Montal,but she did work at Siemens Energy.

A social media profile revealed she was based in Barcelona for Siemens for a period of seven years.

What do we know about the helicopter crash so far?

It’s not clear what caused the crash,but the FAA is investigating (Picture: New York Helicopter Tours)

It is not yet clear what caused the crash. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have said they will investigate.

The helicopter was spinning uncontrollably with ‘a bunch of smoke coming out’ before it slammed into the water,one witness said.

The overturned aircraft was submerged as rescue boats circled it yesterday near the end of a long maintenance pier.

Donald Trump issued a statement on his platform Truth Social reading: ‘Terrible helicopter crash in the Hudson River. Looks like six people,the pilot,two adults,and three children,are no longer with us. The footage of the accident is horrendous.

‘God bless the families and friends of the victims. Secretary of Transportation,Sean Duffy,and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place,and how,will be made shortly!’