Five people were killed when a helicopter crashed into New York City’s East River late Sunday night. 

According to a spokesman for the New York City Police Department, a sixth person, the pilot, managed to free himself. He was pulled from the water by a passing tugboat. 

New York officials said the helicopter had been chartered for a photo shoot when it crashed. 

Officials said police and fire department divers pulled the five passengers from the helicopter.

RT reported that two of the five were pronounced dead at the scene and the remaining three were rushed to a hospital in a critical condition but later died.

“The pilot is OK, taken to the hospital and checked out,” Fire Department of New York Commissioner Daniel Nigro was quoted by RT as saying. 

He also said it took divers a while to free them, working in 15 meters of water with a 6.4 kmph current and a water temperature of below 4.5 degrees Celsius.