Helicopter pilot swims to safety after crash landing in Hudson River

No other passengers were on board the chopper

A helicopter pilot has swum to safety after crash landing in New York’s Hudson River.

Video footage showed the pilot making his way to the shoreline after coming down in river near midtown Manhattan.

Officials said they believed the helicopter fell short of the landing pad at the 30th St heliport and went into the water about 2.20pm

“The pilot is out of the water and the helicopter is secured. Please avoid the area,” the New York police department tweeted.

Police, along with fire and emergency crews, raced to the scene, but by the time they arrived, the pilot had already swum ashore, according to the New York Daily News.

For New Yorkers, the incident called to mind the incident involving US Airways Flight 1549, when pilot Chester “Sully” Sullenberger famously landed a packed flight on the river in 2009. All 155 people on board the plane survived.

Reports said Wednesday’s incident took place not far from that location on the river.

CNN said video of the crash, recorded by Ashton Byrd, showed the aircraft descending towards the water with its nose down and its rotors moving. The helicopter appeared to then level out and water sprayed as the craft went down.