Six people died when a helicopter tumbled out of the sky and plunged into the Hudson River just off Jersey City, N.J., across from the West Village in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said.

“Six innocent souls have lost their lives, and we pray for them and their families,” she said.

At least two adults and three children — all believed to be members of a family of Spanish tourists — were pulled from the helicopter or from the frigid river and taken to hospitals in New Jersey, but none survived, officials briefed on the crash said. A sixth person, believed to be the pilot, was also killed.

The helicopter went down in the river near a ventilation building above the Holland Tunnel at about 3:15 p.m.

Here is what else we know:

• Witness and video accounts: Video of the crash shows the helicopter tumbling end over end and hitting the water at a high speed. One witness, Mandy Bowlin, said she was on a Circle Line tour boat, heard a boom behind her and saw the helicopter plummeting. Its rotor flew off and the craft nose-dived into the water, sending debris flying toward the boat.
• The route: It is not known where the helicopter took off from or where it was headed. Tourist helicopters routinely fly over the river, carrying sightseers from heliports in Lower Manhattan and New Jersey. The typical temperature of the river this time of year is about 45 degrees, according to a government site.

Patrick McGeehan, Christopher Maag and William K. Rashbaum contributed reporting.