6 dead, including 3 children, after helicopter plummets into Hudson River

Six people — including a pilot, two adults and three children — were killed after a tour helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference that at 3:17 p.m., authorities received multiple 911 calls about a helicopter crash in the Hudson River near the New Jersey coastline.

The helicopter was inverted when it crashed, and the cabin was visible above the water.

New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and New York City Police Department (NYPD) divers entered the water within minutes, along with personnel from the port authority and various New Jersey agencies.

NYPD divers pulled four people from the crash site and FDNY divers recovered an additional two people, Tisch said.

There were six people onboard, including a pilot, two adults and three children, according to the flight manifest.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the family was visiting from Spain, though their identities have not yet been released.

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Immediate lifesaving measures were taken on the vessels and on an adjoining pier. However, four people were pronounced dead at the scene and the other two people were pronounced dead at local hospitals.

According to flight tracking software and a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Bell 206 helicopter, flying for the tour company New York Helicopters, took off from the downtown Manhattan heliport at 2:59 p.m.

The aircraft flew south, before turning to fly north along the Manhattan shoreline up the Hudson River.

At 3:08 p.m., the helicopter reached the George Washington Bridge and then turned again to fly south along the New Jersey shoreline. 

Shortly after, the aircraft lost control and hit the water just a few feet off the coast of Hoboken. 

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed they will investigate the cause of the crash.

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According to FOX Weather, the water temperature in the Hudson River is in the mid 40’s.

There were no known adverse weather conditions that might have caused the crash.

New York Helicopter did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The crash site is less than a mile from Manhattan and is close to the Holland Tunnel, where 15.8 million vehicles cross annually from New Jersey into New York City.

A safety zone is in place one mile north and one mile south of the Holland Tunnel across the entire Hudson River, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Ferry service will be impacted on the river north of Jersey City.

"Due to a helicopter crash in the Hudson River, in the vicinity of the West Side Highway and Spring Street, expect emergency vehicles and traffic delays in the surrounding areas," according to a statement from the NYPD.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during the news conference he is lifting the families of those onboard in prayer.

"Our hearts go out to the families of those who were onboard," Adams said. "It's almost reminiscent of the plane going down here on the Hudson River. Thank God we didn't lose any lives back then. It's still fresh and still new, the investigation is ongoing, and … the family members … we lift them up in prayer."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X he was briefed by law enforcement, and called the incident "tragic."

"We are supporting the emergency response effort through the @NJSP, @PANYNJ, and local first responders," Gov. Murphy wrote in the post.

NYPD officials told Fox News Digital they are not able to provide further details at this time.

Prior to the Hudson River crash on Thursday, the NTSB reported 211 helicopter accidents in the past two years, 37 of which were fatal.

Since 1965, 36 crashes have occurred in nearby New York City, 11 of which were fatal.

In 2019, two helicopters crashed in New York City.

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One of the helicopters hit the roof of a Manhattan skyscraper in restricted airspace, killing the pilot, according to a report from the AP.

The other helicopter went into the Hudson River and sank while being maneuvered at a heliport, but the pilot escaped.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.