Updated
The foreign affairs department has confirmed that a permanent Australian resident was killed when a tourist helicopter with five people on board crashed into New York City's East River.
It is understood Sonia Mara Nicholson, who was visiting the city with family to celebrate her 40th birthday, died after the Bell 206 tourist helicopter crashed moments after lifting off from a heliport on 34th Street on the East Side of Manhattan.
Dramatic pictures of the crash scene showed survivors clinging to the helicopter as it sank in choppy waters. More than a dozen boats were on the scene within minutes and rescuers could be seen apparently trying to revive one passenger on the shore.
Ms Nicholson, 40, was a British citizen but lived in Sydney with her friend Helen Tamaski, a New Zealand citizen, who was also onboard the chopper.
The remaining passengers were Ms Nicholson's mother and stepfather, Paul and Harriet Nicholson - British citizens who live in Portugal.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) has issued a statement confirming that two female permanent residents, who are citizens of New Zealand and Britain, were involved in the crash.
"Australian consular officials have spoken to the New Zealand and British consulates, who are providing consular assistance," the statement said.
"However, as the women are permanent residents of Australia, consular services are available to them and their families if required."
Reporter Zack Fink from TV station NY1 told ABC News 24 that he believed the two surviving women remain in a critical condition in hospital.
The pilot was uninjured and swam to shore, while the other man was treated and released.
Ms Nicholson was apparently trapped inside as the chopper sank about 15 metres below the surface, police said.
Police divers pulled her from the water about 90 minutes after the chopper went down. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two men were seen clinging to the upturned helicopter in the water after the crash.
"One was yelling, 'There's three more! There's three more inside!' And then [the helicopter] sunk," said Luis Reyes, a witness to the crash quoted in the New York Post.
A friend of Ms Nicholson has paid tribute to her, saying she was well known and liked.
Dr Emmanual Calligeros worked next door to Ms Nicholson in the inner-west suburb of Newtown.
"She was such a well-liked person in the street and generally in Newtown," he said.
"She had a boisterous, friendly character. She was always out and about; very well liked in the area."
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg says rescuers did all they could.
"The response was was quite amazing. The response was everything you could ask it to be," he said.
"A quicker response couldn't have happened and wouldn't have made any difference apparently in terms of saving the people."
The National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate the cause of the crash, which occurred just before 3:30pm on Tuesday (local time).
The privately owned chopper sank quickly after hitting the river just metres from the helipad.
Within minutes, more than a dozen boats along with divers and emergency workers using ladders, flotation devices and buoys descended on the scene in a rescue effort.
ABC/wires
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, accidents, united-states, sydney-2000, nsw, australia
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