5 people pulled from deadly helicopter crash in Hudson River as recovery efforts continue for sixth person

By John Miller and Mark Morales, CNN

(CNN) — Six people were involved in a helicopter crash on the Hudson River and five so far have been pulled from the scene and taken to the hospital, a law enforcement official on the scene said.

The NYPD reported the crash at Pier 40 at 3:17 p.m. Of the five people recovered, the official told CNN three were children. Their conditions are not known and authorities are still searching for one missing body, the official said. The helicopter is currently submerged in the river and divers are attempting to recover the sixth person.

There were fatalities from the crash but the exact number is unclear, authorities on the scene said.

“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 NYPD said in a social media post.

FlightRadar24 reported the aircraft to be a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, based on ADS-B tracking data. The helicopter flew for about 16 minutes before going down into the water, according to analysis by CNN and flight tracking site FlightRadar 24.

The flight path shows the aircraft took off from lower Manhattan and did a circle near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River to the George Washington Bridge at about 1000 feet. At that point it turned back south, ultimately coming to rest in the water near New Jersey.

The path up the Hudson is a popular sightseeing route.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is investigating the situation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is leading the investigation and will provide updates.

“A Bell 206 helicopter crashed and is submerged in the Hudson River in New York City,” the FAA said in a statement. “The number of people on board is unknown at this time.”

CNN’s Alexandra Skores, Matt Stiles and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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