3 : 0 0   p . m ., ▁Michael ▁Blo om berg , ▁the ▁mayor ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁addressed ▁questions ▁in ▁a ▁press ▁conference . ▁Call ing ▁the ▁crash ▁" an ▁accident ▁which ▁we ▁do ▁not ▁believe ▁was ▁surv iv able ," ▁Blo om berg ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁mission ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁a ▁rescue ▁mission , ▁but ▁rather ▁a ▁recovery ▁mission . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁August ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁US ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁maintained ▁a ▁two - mile ▁safety ▁zone ▁from ▁the ▁Holland ▁T unnel ▁to ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁T unnel , ▁requiring ▁vessels ▁to ▁move ▁slowly ▁and ▁stay ▁within ▁ 4 0 0   y ards ▁of ▁the ▁Manh attan ▁side ▁while ▁passing ▁through ▁the ▁area . ▁The ▁safety ▁zone ▁was ▁maintained ▁by ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁cut ter ▁Pen ob sc ot ▁Bay . ▁ ▁Rec overy ▁On ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁the ▁crash , ▁divers ▁had ▁recovered ▁two ▁bodies ▁from ▁the ▁water . ▁By ▁the ▁next ▁morning , ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁four ▁bodies ▁had ▁been ▁found , ▁while ▁the ▁other ▁five ▁vict ims ▁were ▁pres umed ▁dead . ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁hel ic opter ' s ▁w reck age ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁about ▁ ▁of ▁water , ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁w reck age ▁fields ▁of ▁the ▁plane . ▁A ided ▁by ▁a ▁son ar , ▁investig ators ▁attempted ▁to ▁discover ▁the ▁plane ' s ▁de br is ▁in ▁deeper ▁water ▁near ▁the ▁mid - channel ▁point ▁of ▁the ▁Hudson . ▁Their ▁efforts ▁were