Daring Rescue Effort in Deadly Helicopter Crash Earns Medal
A family of five from Spain and a pilot all died in the April 10, 2025 crash of a sightseeing helicopter. Firefighter Michael Prokop had cut loose one of the unconscious children from the submerged helicopter while she was barely alive. Sadly all six died.
| 07 Jun 2026 | 05:11
Firefighter Michael Prokop prepares to descend into the overturned helicopter in a valiant, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to save some of the six victims trapped inside. (
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The scene where a sightseeing helicopter, attempting to return to the Skyport heliport near Wall Street, lost power and crashed upside down into the Hudson River, off of Hoboken, NJ, killing all six people on board. (
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A haunting photo of a family of vactioneers from Spain only hours before their sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on April 10, 2025 killing all five and the pilot. Firefighter Michael Prokop had pulled two of the victims to the surface in a brave but ultimately futile rescue attempt. (
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An NYPD boat returns to Pier 40 after assisting in the attempted rescue of six people who died when a sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River mid-afternoon on April 10. (
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A sightseeing helicopter with six people on board plunged into the Hudson River on April 10, 2025. It was upside down and in danger of sinking in the waters off of Hoboken, NJ., when FDNY Marine Company 1 was among a small flotilla of boats answering the frantic call in a bid to save the victims trapped upside down in the rapidly sinking helicopter.
On board was a family of five from Spain, including three young girls and their mother and father and the pilot, who shortly before crashing had radioed he was having fuel problems as he was trying to return to the Skyport in downtown Manhattan.
Firefighter Michal Prokop was on the FDNY rescue vehicle along with Lt. Keith Nebel and firefighter Kieran Murphy, who had to carefully navigate among other emergency vessels racing to the season to get parallel to the upside down helicopter which was in danger of sinking. While Lt. Nobel secured a tether rope to one of the helicopters landing skids to keep it from sinking, Prokop, wearing a dry suit and googles, dove into the fuel-drenched water.
With zero visibility, he was able to locate one individual and cut her seat belt to bring her to the surface. The person was later identified as the mom, Merce Camprubi Montal. She was brought on board but was immediately determined to be deceased.
Prokop descended into the helicopter again and located a second victim, a child, that he secured and brought to the surface. At the time, she was still alive and the hope was that she would be a miracle survivor.
Alas it was not meant to be. Four others were brought to the surface by NYPD divers, including the pilot and the three other family members. In the end all five family members and the pilot died.
Still for his daring bid to reach and save the victims on a cold and stormy evening, Prokop was awarded the Thomas E. Crimmins Medal during the annual FDNY Medal Day at City Hall Park on June 3.
“Firefighter Prokop placed himself at personal risk and overcame an extremely challenging operating environment amongst the fuel spill, rough water, sinking helicopter and zero visibility conditions under water,” said master of ceremonies Captain Andrew Brown at the awards ceremony. “Due to his heroic determination and relentless effort to save lives, firefighter Michael Prokop operated in the highest traditions of the FDNY and is the recipient of the Thomas E. Crimmins Medal.”