The couple died Thursday in a helicopter crash near New York City, and was a well-known Spanish executive who was on vacation with three children and they were killed with the pilot.
Relatives said this was the day before the daughter's ninth birthday.
Spanish officials identified the husband as Agustín Escobar, while the family appointed his wife as Mercè Camprubí Montal. Their children are 10-year-old Agustín of Mercèn and 4-year-old Víctor.
According to officials, their deaths were mourned in Barcelona, where the family had a home. Their family declined to comment to reporters on Friday.
“They are a well-known family,” said Catalonian Governor Salvador Illa in a telephone interview. “He is an executive of a large international company and also belongs to a well-known family. Two of her family members are the president of the Football Club Barcelona.”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter accident,” Erra said.
Jersey, New Jersey Mayor Steven Fulop said Escobar arrived in the U.S. on Sunday to visit a Siemens plant in Pittsburgh and he has extended his trip so his family can visit New York City and do some sightseeing as he celebrates Ms. Camplubley’s birthday.
Forop said Mr. Escobar's brother-in-law flew to the United States on Friday morning to bring the family's body to Spain.
The helicopter is operated by a New York travel company and flew along a popular route that shows the city’s skyline. Video of the crash shows a helicopter breaking in the air and then rolling into the sky and crashing into the Hudson River.
Shortly before the crash, the travel company posted images online showing the Escobar family smiling on the helicopter in front of the helicopter before the helicopter took off.
In the picture, Mr. Escobar and his wife can be seen laughing with three children, wearing knitted winter hats and warm coats with small yellow flotation devices.
Other images show them strapped to their seats, with one of the children riding in front with the pilot.
New York City Police Chief Jessica S. was also killed.
Commissioner Teech said the cause of the crash is under investigation.
Mr. Escobar, 49, was born in Puertollano, a small city in central Spain. The region celebrated his achievements in 2023 and named him “Favorite Son”.
On Friday morning, Proturano Mayor Miguel ángel Ruiz said in a statement that the city “mothered the loss of one of the most outstanding sons.”
The company said Mr. Escobar led Siemens' railway infrastructure division from the company's Berlin office. Mr. Escobar was CEO of Siemens, Spain before taking up his current position in October. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has previously worked for technology giants in the United States and Colombia.
Siemens said in a statement that it was “deep sadness” about death.
Mr. Escobar's parents and sister still live in Pratolano, who he often visits, said Francisco Chicón, a retired banker whom he also praised from the city.
Mr Chicón said that during Mr Escobar's career he continued to invest in his hometown. He helped the city develop a climate-friendly steel plant, which is “a major investment and job opportunity for reindustrialization,” Mr. Che Collano said.
In an interview with local newspaper Lanza in 2023, Escobar said he joined Siemens as an intern 25 years ago. Escobar is proud of his roots, comparing the city's inhabitants to the character Don Quixote, who also comes from the Castilla-La region of Spain.
“We are entrepreneurs and travelers,” he said in the interview. “We have a knowledgeable career and an uneasy, open mind that invites us to learn.”
Ms. Camprubí is an executive at Siemens Energy, an independent company. Siemens Energy has not yet publicly commented on her death.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the crash as an “unthinkable tragedy.”
“I shared the grief of the victim's loved ones in this heartbreaking moment,” Sanchez said on social media in the early hours of Friday.
Government official Carlos Prieto told Spanish journalists that the family's remains will be repatriated once a New York judge allows Spanish officials to permit.
John Yuan and Rachel Chaundler Contribution report. Susan C. Beachy and Sheelagh McNeill Contributed to the research.
