The couple killed in a helicopter crash near New York City on Thursday were well-known executives from Spain who were on vacation with their three young children, who also died in the accident along with the pilot.
Relatives said it was the day before the daughter’s ninth birthday.
Spanish officials identified the husband as Agustín Escobar, and family members named the wife as Mercè Camprubí Montal. Their children were Agustín, 10, Mercè, 8 and Víctor, 4, the Camprubí family said in a text message, adding that Mercè would have turned 9 on Friday.
Their deaths were mourned in Barcelona, where the family had a home, according to officials.
“They are a well-known family,” Salvador Illa, the governor of Barcelona, said in a telephone interview. “He was an executive at a large international company, and also she belonged to a well-known family. Two members of her family were presidents of the Barcelona Football Club.”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter accident,” Mr. Illa said.
The helicopter was touring New York City when it tumbled out of the sky and crashed into the Hudson River.
Two of the passengers were alive when divers pulled them from the frigid water, but they later died, New York City’s police commissioner, Jessica S. Tisch, said at a news conference.
The pilot, who has not been identified, was also killed.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, the police commissioner said.
Mr. Escobar, 49, was born in Puertollano, a small city in central Spain, Emiliano García-Page, the region’s leader, said on social media. The region had celebrated his achievements in 2023, naming him a “favorite son.”
On Friday morning, Mayor Miguel Ángel Ruiz of Puertollano said in a statement that the city “mourns the loss of one of its most brilliant sons.”
Mr. Escobar led Siemens’ rail infrastructure division from the company’s Berlin office, the company said. Before assuming his current role in October, Mr. Escobar was the chief executive of Siemens Spain. He previously worked for the technology giant in the United States and Brazil, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Siemens said it in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” by the deaths.
Ms. Camprubí was an executive with Siemens Energy, a separate company, according to her LinkedIn profile. Siemens Energy has not commented publicly on her death.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain described the crash as “an unimaginable tragedy.”
“I share the grief of the victims’ loved ones at this heartbreaking time,” Mr. Sánchez said on social media in the early hours of Friday.
Carlos Prieto, a government official, told reporters in Spain that the family’s remains would be repatriated once a New York judge granted permission to Spanish officials.
John Yoon and Rachel Chaundler contributed reporting. Susan C. Beachy and Sheelagh McNeill contributed research.
Lynsey Chutel is a Times reporter based in London who covers breaking news in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
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