“It could have been us,” two rattle tourists lined up behind the Spanish family who died on a fateful helicopter flight on the Hudson River, said on Friday.
Dutch couple Melissa Maertem, 23, and her fiance Melissa Boss, 24, spoke as five members of the tragic Escobar family were excitedly photographed for a photo of a helipad in downtown Scarport before taking off before becoming a lifelong ride.
Family – Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, Mercere Campulvi Montal, and three young children jumped on the New York Helicopters Tour Craft, and let the boss and Maertem wait for their flight with another company.
The uproar quickly broke out, and helipad workers ultimately said the couple had a “accident.”
“We were ready and ready,” Maertem said. “It's really hard to put everything in. When I hear it, it's just hard to do. [about the crash] We got all the chills.
“It could have been us,” Boss said.
When the couple returned to their hotel rooms, they learned more about the crash, including that the five family members and the pilot's family were all dead.
“When we got back to the hotel, we saw it on TV and we saw a photo of the helicopter and the family this morning – wow, that's what we saw,” Boss said.
Bos and Maertem originally thought they would reschedule tourist trips, but were reconsidered after the death brush sinks.
“We are so afraid we are trying to get our money back now,” Maertem said.
All flights from Skyport were cancelled after a horrific crash, but at least some other tourists said they would still fly if given a chance.
Swiss tourist Petra Hermann was one of several groups of travelers who trekked to the helipad on Friday morning, but only found that previously booked flights had been grounded without notice from the helicopter tour company.
Hermann said he had planned to fly with his partner, two teenage sons and grandfather to celebrate the Patriarch's 80th birthday.
“We're a little worried, but nonetheless, I don't think it will happen twice within a few hours,” she said. “So I think we're fine.
“So, I hope they check a lot better than yesterday, so make sure the helicopters are safe. I don't think we can put another accident or people who have died in danger.”
