Two rattled vacationers subsequent in line behind the Spanish household who died on the doomed Hudson River helicopter flight chillingly advised The Submit on Friday, “It may have been us.”
Dutch couple Melissa Maertem, 23, and her fiancée, Melissa Bos, 24, recounted watching the 5 members of the Escobar household excitedly pose for pictures on the helipad at Downtown Skyport earlier than taking off for what was purported to be a journey of a lifetime.
The household — Siemens govt Agustin Escobar, his spouse, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three younger kids — then hopped on the New York Helicopter Excursions craft, leaving Bos and Maertem to attend for their very own flight with a special firm.
A commotion quickly broke out, and heliport staff ultimately advised the couple there was an “accident.
We had been set and prepared,” Maertem stated. “It’s actually onerous to get all of it in. After we heard [about the crash], we obtained all chills.”
“It may have been us,” Bos stated.
The couple discovered extra particulars concerning the crash — together with that the household of 5 and pilot had been all lifeless — after they returned to their lodge room.
“After we obtained again to the lodge, we noticed it on TV, and we noticed the helicopter, and the image of the household this morning — like wow, that’s the one we noticed,” Bos stated.
Bos and Maertem initially thought they’d reschedule their sightseeing journey, however reconsidered after their brush with loss of life sank in.
“We’re too afraid, so we’re making an attempt to get our a reimbursement proper now,” Maertem stated.
All flights from the skyport had been canceled after the horrifying crash — however no less than another would-be sightseers stated they’d nonetheless fly if given the possibility.
Swiss vacationer Petra Hermann was amongst a number of teams of vacationers who trekked to the heliport Friday morning, solely to seek out their beforehand booked flights had been grounded with out discover from helicopter tour firms.
Hermann advised The Submit she had nonetheless deliberate to fly together with her companion, two teenage sons and their grandfather to have fun the patriarch’s eightieth birthday.
“We’re a bit of bit fearful, however however we expect it doesn’t occur twice inside a couple of hours,” she stated. “That’s why I feel we must be positive.
“That’s why we hope they’re checking significantly better than yesterday, so that they actually be sure that the helicopter is secure. I feel they’ll’t threat one other accident and lifeless individuals.”
