What is Siemens? All about the German company whose Spanish CEO died in Hudson River helicopter crash

Siemens AG, a major global technology firm, is in the spotlight after a helicopter crash in Manhattan claimed its Spanish CEO Agustin Escobar and his family.

The Hudson River helicopter crash that claimed six lives near Manhattan’s West Side this week has drawn attention to one of Europe’s most influential companies — Siemens AG. Among the victims was Agustin Escobar, President and CEO of Siemens in Spain, along with his wife and their three children, per The New York Post.

An object floats at the scene of a helicopter crash on the Hudson River near lower Manhattan in New York, as seen from Newport, New Jersey, U.S., April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz (REUTERS)

But what exactly is Siemens?

Founded in 1847 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, Siemens AG is one of the world’s largest technology companies. For more than 175 years, it has been dominating the market.

“Siemens AG is a German leading global technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare,” their website read.

With a presence in over 190 countries and hundreds of thousands of employees, the company has also expanded heavily into digital technologies, offering software, AI, and data-driven solutions to businesses trying to modernize and streamline their operations.

What happened in the Hudson River skyspace

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has provided some details about the fatal helicopter ride. The helicopter was operated by New York Helicopters and took off from the Downtown Skyport on the lower side of Manhattan at 14:59 local time (19:59 BST), she said.

Flightradar24, a flight-tracking website, said the helicopter was in the air for about 15 minutes.

“Remember that the rotor blades on a helicopter, the big ones on the top, are both the wing of the helicopter and the propellor of the helicopter,” Arthur Alan Wolk, a jet pilot of more than 50 years, told NBC Philadelphia.

“If you lose the main rotor blade, you’re doomed. The helicopter falls like a brick. That’s what I could see in the video today, that the main rotor blades literally cut the tail off of the helicopter.”