Who Was Sean Johnson? Pilot in Hudson River helicopter crash identified as Navy SEAL veteran

Apr 12, 2025 12:29 AM IST

Sean Johnson has been identified as the pilot in the Hudson River helicopter crash. Johnson, 36, was a Navy SEAL veteran.

Sean Johnson has been identified as the pilot in the Hudson River helicopter crash, the New York Post reported. Johnson and a family of five tourists—Agustin Escobar, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three young children—were all killed in Thursday’s chopper crash.

Sean Johnson has been identified as the pilot in the Hudson River helicopter crash.(Facebook/ Sean Johnson)

Who was Sean Johnson?

Sean Johnson, a 36-year-old Navy SEAL veteran, had recently moved to New York City to continue his aviation career. He had previously lived in several states, including Illinois, Virginia, and Montana.

On Thursday, Johnson was piloting a Bell 206 helicopter during a sightseeing tour for a family of five visiting from Spain.

Just last month, he shared a video of himself flying the same type of Bell 206 helicopter over Manhattan.

Speaking by phone to Gothamist, Johnson’s wife, Kathryn Johnson, said, “I’m just at a loss for words. I don’t even know what happened.”

She shared that she learned of his death through one of his former colleagues and is still struggling to come to terms with the news. “It’s just hard right now,” she said.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information

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