'It could have been us': Tourist couple next in line after family that died in NYC helicopter ride shares fears of flying

Julian Roberts-Grmela and Leonard Greene, New York Daily News on Apr 11, 2025

Published in News & Features

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NEW YORK — A tourist couple next in line behind a Spanish family that died in a Hudson River helicopter crash said visitors to New York might start thinking twice about taking flights around the city.

“We are really shocked. I was shaking,” said Melissa Maertem, 23, who is visiting Manhattan from the Netherlands with her partner, Melissa Bos, 24. “It could have been us. We saw the helicopter take off, and when you think back, like, oh, that’s the helicopter we saw. It’s really, really hard to understand.”

Martem and Bos were standing in line behind Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercè Camprubí and their three young children who perished along with their pilot when the helicopter they were renting plunged into the icy Hudson River on Thursday afternoon.

The two women echoed what photos of the tragic family revealed, that they were excited about their trip in their final moments before the helicopter left the ground.

"They were really happy,” Martem said. “They were going on a helicopter flight.”

Martem was excited, too. She and Bos had booked their aerial tour about six months ago for about $600 for the pair, and said they were really looking forward to the ride.

She said they arrived at the downtown heliport early for their 4:45 flight, and said it became clear pretty soon that something had gone wrong.

Martem said she saw employees in the heliport pacing, making phone calls and acting nervous. She said the bustling activity went on for about 15 minutes before they were finally told flights were canceled for the day.

“We’re asking, like, what’s happening. And then they said, ‘Something happened,’” she said. “‘There’s been an accident, and we can’t take the flights anymore.’ So I was asking, like, ‘Are they OK?’ And they told me, one is not. But we heard later, all six of them (had died).”

Martem said they returned to their hotel and saw the coverage of the crash on TV. “We saw pictures ... of the family and (realized) ‘wow ... that’s the one we saw (at the heliport). It’s really, really hard.”

Martem said they had considered rescheduling their ride before deciding on the refund.

“We talked about it a lot, but we’re too afraid now,” she said, fearing a possible maintenance issue. “That’s why we’re scared, like maybe the other helicopters have that too.”

She said she doubts that they’re the only ones.

“Maybe tourists will think about it differently,” Martem said. “But maybe it’s like, I don’t know, a bird strike, and then they can’t do anything about it."

Martem said they will try to go on with their vacation, but it will be hard.

They have already been to the Edge sky deck in Hudson Yards, and took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Their agenda includes a Knicks game, a Yankee game and a trip to the top of the Empire State Building.

“So you still have, like, feeling up above,” she said. “It’s not worth the helicopter flight right now.”

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