Hot! Helicopter Crashes In Nyc's East River; Nypd Divers Rescue Four; One Dead

By John Doyle AND Corky Siemaszko DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Just ahead of the doomed chopper crashed into the East River Tuesday, the particular pilot granted a serious word of caution to help his passengers: "We're planning down."

Seconds later, your heli chop down inverted in the water, sparking a serious recovery function by urban center cops and firefighter that ended up saving a number of people from your dangerous water - nonetheless which usually came too late just to save a British female who seem to had been in the urban center celebrating your ex 40th birthday.

Federal researchers are actually probing the actual dangerous lock up that will claimed lifespan of Sonia Marra Nicholson and left her parents - and spouse Helen Tamaki - in critical condition.

Pauld Dudley, a expert pilot, live through unharmed.

PHOTOS FROM THE RESCUE SCENE

"He's very distraught," a form said. "He states that he or she merely lost manipulate and it also crashed from the water."

A source near to your exploration gifted a new harrowing akun with what happened events following a Bell 206 Jet Ranger crashed and the cold water began served inside cabin.

Nicholson's stepdad, 71-year-old Paul Nicholson, seemed to be sitting close to Dudley, the origin said. Her mother, Harriet, in addition to Tamaki, had been sitting with the girl inside the back.

"When the item reach that normal water he or she unbuckled and attempted to get to his her conversation within the back," your source stated associated with Paul Nicholson. "He had been torn in two out of your water since he or she was attempting to pick up his wife."

Paul Nicholson ended up being rescued by NYPD anti-terror in addition to Emergency Service Unit cops exactly who ended up in the area. They promptly get rid of their gear and also leaped in to the water.

Survivors hang on to towards helicopter because it will go under. (WCBS-TV)

ESU Det. Keith Connelly explained this any time he reached the particular helicopter, this individual beheld a new surreal sight: a couple of men clinging into the chopper plus a couple of other than conscious women "just bobbing inside water."

"The pilot was because of the helicopter, screaming for help," ESU Connelly said. "He was yelling, 'Someone is within the particular helicopter!'"

Seconds later, this helicopter attended underneath - taking the special birthday woman with it.

In the actual turmoil this followed, Dudley for some reason drifted far from the officers and ended up being suddenly caught with a swift present regarding 30 back yards from the pier.

That's while Firefighter Robert Lopez of Ladder Company 7 followed for you to his resue.

"He what food was in shock," claimed Lopez, 39. "He had been stating there was anyone within the heli still."

"Go receive them!" Dudley screamed, in line with Lopez.

NYPD scuba put some sort of marker along at the scene when this chopper travelled down. (Andrew Theodorakis/News)By then, this chopper had sunk from picture inside 50 paws involving murky water. It appeared to be a lot more than a while prior to police arrest recovered Nicholson's body.