BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of people packed into a Barcelona church on Tuesday to mourn a Spanish family of five who died earlier this month in a sightseeing helicopter crash in New York City and whose bodies were laid to rest in Spain.
As church bells tolled against a brilliant blue sky, mourners gathered and wept quietly as they paid respects to Agustín Escobar, Mercè Camprubí Montal and their three young children, all of whom were killed on April 11 when a helicopter broke apart midair and crashed into the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey.
“We have been in pain for the last 11 days, but they will always remain in our memories and remind us from up high to never lose our ability to smile," said the woman's father, Joan Camprubí, during the funeral service.
He thanked those who attended, which included Catalonia's regional leader Salvador Illa and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, and shared memories of his daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren. Camprubí also mentioned the passing of the Pope, saying that the pontiff believed in the transformative power of a “smile and a sense of humor.”
A trip that was intended to celebrate the ninth birthday of the couple's middle child ended up being the family's final moments. Shortly before the flight over the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan took off, a photo shows Agustín Escobar flashing a thumbs-up while his wife and children beamed big smiles.
Despite the tragedy, relatives of the Barcelona family on Tuesday recalled the joy that their lost loved ones gave them and the family's love for life. Several dozen people watched the nearly two-hour service on screens set up outside the front entrance of the church, which had reached capacity.
Escobar was global CEO of rail infrastructure at Siemens Mobility while Mercè Camprubí Montal worked for Siemens Energy, a separate company. Camprubí Montal’s grandfather was a former president of the famous Barcelona FC soccer club. Their children Agustín, Mercè and Víctor were 10, 9 and 4.
The service ended with photos displayed of the family during previous holidays and at family gatherings. As family and friends recalled happier moments in the Barcelona family's life, the song playing was Frank Sinatra's “New York, New York.”