One of the victims in the fatal East River chopper crash was a member of an Upper East Side church choir who had an angelic baritone voice, pals and…
One of the victims in the fatal East River chopper crash was a member of an Upper East Side church choir who had an angelic baritone voice, pals and parishioners said Monday.
Daniel Thompson, 34, spent a decade belting religious tunes at East River Catholic church on East 66th Street and First Avenue, where he lit up lives with his chatty and jovial personality.
“He spoke to everybody and was very social and very nice with people. He had an excellent voice,” said Adrian Adams, a 60-year-old Upper East Side resident who attends the church.
He added, “What a devastating tragedy and horrible way to die.”
Thompson began singing at the church in 2008, said Kelly Shoemaker, managing director of the choir.
“[He was] a fantastic person,” she said. “He had stepped forward in a leadership role. [It’s] quite a loss.”
Thompson was one of five passengers who died when a tourist helicopter crashed into the East River on Sunday night.
