(NewsNation) — The pilot who died in this week’s helicopter crash in the Hudson River along with five others was a Navy veteran who overcame significant obstacles in life, a friend tells NewsNation.
Former Navy SEAL Remi Adeleke says he met Seankese “Sean” Johnson in the service when Johnson was serving as a SEAL tech who assisted team members. Adeleke said both men bonded over their “inner city” backgrounds, and he encouraged Johnson to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot.
“I found that very inspirational,” Adeleke told NewsNation. “Because you don’t see a lot of African American pilots, just like you don’t see a lot of African American Navy SEALS. I kind of connected with him on that level.”
After the Navy, he said Johnson worked in security before saving up enough money to go to pilot school about five years ago. Johnson was flying the sightseeing helicopter Thursday with a Spanish family of five aboard when the aircraft came apart and plunged into the Hudson near the New Jersey coastline.
All six bodies have been recovered, and divers continued to pull wreckage from the water over the weekend.
Adeleke said he was traveling to Africa when he learned his friend had died in the crash, through a text message from Johnson’s wife. He said the family was working on bringing Johnson’s body back for a funeral in his hometown of Chicago.
He described the 36-year-old Johnson as a generous person who was always trying to help others. Most impressive, Adeleke said, was that he was able to realize his dream of becoming a pilot.
“There were a lot of obstacles in front of him, but he climbed that mountain. Not only did he climb that mountain, he died having achieved that goal. He died doing what he loved.”