A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday afternoon, prompting a swift emergency response from first responders and marine units.
Photos from the scene showed the helicopter’s landing skids sticking out of the water near Manhattan’s West Side Highway, while several boats surrounded the crash site in a coordinated rescue effort.
According to NBC4, which cited law enforcement sources, at least four people were pulled from the river and transported to hospitals in New Jersey. However, New York police have yet to confirm any fatalities linked to the incident.
The Hudson River, a busy waterway for commercial and recreational traffic, was also the site of the famed 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson,” where a US Airways flight made an emergency water landing and all 155 people on board survived.
“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,”
the New York Police Department said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the New York Fire Department noted that the call came in at 3:17 PM (1917 GMT), reporting a “helicopter in the water.” No further details were immediately available regarding the type of helicopter or cause of the crash.
The chopper crash near Manhattan’s West Side caused traffic disruptions and a temporary lockdown of the surrounding area as emergency crews worked quickly to secure the scene.
This New York helicopter crash is currently under investigation by aviation and safety authorities. More updates will follow as the story develops.