3rd NYC helicopter crash victim dies
This undated photo provided by the National Transportation and Safety Board shows the helicopter that crashed into the East River on Oct. 4, 2011. Credit: AP Photo
Last month's crash of a helicopter into the East River has claimed the life of a third woman, according to New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
Harriet Nicholson, 60, died early Sunday at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan, where she'd struggled to recover from injuries suffered in the Oct. 4 air accident, said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office.
Borakove said the cause of death was "respiratory complications of near-drowning."
Nicholson's daughter, Sonia Marra, 40, was killed in the crash. Marra's partner Helen Tamaki, 43, died at Bellevue six days later. Nicholson's husband, Paul Nicholson, survived.
The family was visiting New York City from abroad.
The Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter, piloted by a man who has a home in Southampton, crashed into the river and sank in about 40 feet of water shortly after taking off from the heliport at East 34th Street.
The National Transportation Safety Board has ruled out engine failure or a bird strike as the cause of the crash, which remains under investigation.
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