passenger who was rescued from the helicopter which made an emergency landing in the Hudson River on Sunday gives a thumbs up It’s the mini-miracle on the Hudson.
Five people were rescued from the drink Sunday after their sightseeing helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River.
Amazingly, none of the four passengers — including two children — or the pilot was injured in the splashdown near the 79th Street Boat basin after the chopper’s engine conked out in mid-air.
Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News All of the passengers and the pilot escaped injury.
“The pilot did a terrific job, considering he lost his engine power,” said FDNY Deputy Fire
Chief Thomas McKavanagh. “He had some kind of control — a very skilled pilot.”
The drama took place shortly after noon.
The New York Helicopter bird took off from the Wall St. Heliport with a family of Swedish tourists, and had been in the air for about 12 minutes when disaster struck.
David Handschuh/New York Daily News Sebastian Berthelet and stepson Lambert De Monte were about a half-mile away in their 38-foot sailboat, and jumped into their dinghy to help however they could.
Omar Vidal, 22, a server at the Boat Basin Cafe, said he heard a helicopter “going down really fast.”
Another Boat Basin employee, Clifort Betances, 20, said that despite the speed, “it didn’t look out of control” as it plummeted toward the water.
Vidal said the pilot “popped out the floaters” — inflatable pontoons — on the descent, causing a huge splash.
John Minchillo/AP The helicopter rests on a pontoon at the 79th Street Boat Basin.
“We couldn’t see it for two seconds because of the splash. Everybody (in the cafe) was looking, like, ‘What just happened?’
"The helicopter vanished into the splash," he added, but then “popped up.”
It then started floating south, as civilians in boats and jet skis rushed to help.
Courtesy Tracy Millan Emergency personnel respond to a helicopter down in the East River on Sunday.
Sebastian Berthelet 38, and stepson Lambert De Monte, 16, were about a half-mile away in their 38-foot sailboat, and jumped into their dinghy to help however they could.
"Let's go, let's go, let's see if we can help," Lambert said, according to his stepfather. The pair pulled the stunned pilot into the boat.
“He was in shock,” Berthelet said.
@FDNY via Twitter FDNY Marine units at the scene.
The family had gotten onto another dinghy, Berthelet said, who downplayed his and his stepson’s contribution.
“I think the pilot is the hero. We are not,” he said. “He's the guy who saved the lives.”
McKavanagh said he interviewed the tourists, and “they said the landing felt like a 10 meter jump impact.”
The pilot, he said, had been “able to get this helicopter to land upright and with minimal impact. He really did a great job.”
The helicopter was towed in by rescue boats.
