A tourist helicopter splashed down in Hudson River near Weehawken, N.J., yesterday afternoon. None of the eight people aboard were injured. EMT Jose Mejia, 21 and his girlfriend Zaira Machado, 21 were in the sightseeing chopper they were in suddenly splashed into the Hudson River. The helicopter's e

• Contributor: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo
• Image ID: CG0KMT
• File size: 17.1 MB (658.4 KB Compressed download)
• Releases: Model - no | Property - no
• Dimensions: 1987 x 3000 px | 16.8 x 25.4 cm | 6.6 x 10 inches | 300dpi
• Date taken: 7 July 2007
• Photographer: ZUMA

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A tourist helicopter splashed down in Hudson River near Weehawken, N.J., yesterday afternoon. None of the eight people aboard were injured. EMT Jose Mejia, 21 and his girlfriend Zaira Machado, 21 were in the sightseeing chopper they were in suddenly splashed into the Hudson River. The helicopter's emergency flotation pontoons were deployed upon splashdown. Seconds after a sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River, Jose Meija, an FDNY paramedic aboard, sprung into action yesterday - helping his girlfriend and six others escape without serious injury. EMT Jose Mejia - who can't swim - calmed the other passengers despite his own fear of the water. He helped several of them, including a 13-year-old girl, get out of their seat belts and don life jackets. He then led them out of the crippled helicopter into the murky water. The seven passengers, along with the pilot, were in the river for less than 5 minutes before rescuers arrived and pulled them from the waters between Manhattan and New Jersey.