AP reports:

Emergency crews arrived to find the chopper inverted in the murky water with just its skids showing on the surface. The pilot, Paul Dudley, and three passengers were bobbing in the chilly water, and it looked as though a man was diving down and coming back up, possibly in an attempt to rescue the remaining passenger, witnesses said.

Officers jumped in and pulled out two women and a man, police spokesman Paul Browne said. The women were in critical condition, and the man was stable. All were hospitalized. The pilot swam to the riverbank, remained at the scene and was uninjured.

Greg Mocker / WPIX via AP

Divers and first responders help people to shore at a dock the East River after their helicopter crashed, Tuesday, Oct. 4, in New York. A helicopter with five people aboard crashed into river after taking off from a launch pad on the riverbank, killing one and injuring injuring others.

WPIX via AP

Divers pull a woman from the water onto a dock on the East River after the helicopter she was in crashed, Tuesday, Oct. 4 in New York.