The Spanish victims of the New York helicopter crash: Two Siemens executives and their young children

Although the Spanish Embassy in Washington had not confirmed their identities late Thursday night, stating only that they were Spanish citizens, the victims of the deadly crash of a sightseeing helicopter that fell into the Hudson River in New York are Agustín Escobar, who was CEO of the technology company Siemens in Spain for two years and was currently serving as the company’s head of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility; his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, a director at the same company and the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of presidents of the soccer club FC Barcelona; and their three children, ages four, five, and eleven. Their identities were revealed by local media, including The New York Times, citing a senior New York law enforcement official.

According to the New York Post, which published several photographs of the family boarding the helicopter that were provided by the company operating the aircraft, New York Helicopter Tours, the five arrived in New York that morning. The company offers sightseeing tours of Manhattan to view the city’s skyline. The family boarded the helicopter at Pier 6 in Manhattan, where the heliport that handles most of the city’s tourist flights is located. The pilot also died in the crash.

The Spanish victims’ identities were also unofficially confirmed by people close to the couple. Escobar was a native of the Spanish city of Puertollano, where he was named Favorite Son in 2023. Camprubí was Siemens’ Global Marketing Director, and according to her LinkedIn profile she had also worked for the multinational in other locations (between January 2011 and January 2013, she was stationed in New York).

According to Camprubí’s professional profile, which highlights her international experience in the energy industry, the family resided in Barcelona. She was the sister of Joan Camprubí Montal, who in October 2024 submitted his candidacy for the presidency of FC Barcelona. She was also the granddaughter of former Barça president Agustí Montal Costa (1969-1977) and great-granddaughter of Agustín Montal Galobart, who presided the club from 1946 to 1952.

On November 18, 2022, Siemens announced the appointment of Escobar, then CEO of Siemens Mobility Spain and Southwest Europe, as President and CEO of Siemens Spain. At the time of his appointment, he had more than 20 years of international experience at the company, particularly in the infrastructure, energy, and mobility sectors. Specifically, he previously held the positions of CEO of the Energy Management division in Latin America, between 2014 and 2018, and of the Infrastructure and Cities sector, also in Latin America, between 2012 and 2014. Prior to that, he served as Corporate Director of Strategy and International Business Development in North America, with responsibility for the United States, Canada, and Central America. In Spain, he held various responsibilities, particularly in the energy sector.

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