A firefighter from Belgium died while riding on a New York City fire department boat that collided with a charter boat, city fire officials said Saturday.

The FDNY boat was in the East River when the collision occurred Friday night. A FDNY firefighter and three civilians were also injured in the crash and taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Officials did not release the identity of the Belgian firefighter but the New York Daily News reported that he had befriended FDNY officials a few years ago. It was not immediately clear why the firefighter was on the boat and the cause of the collision.

(AP)