The Police Department’s harbor unit swiftly rescued seven people in an overturned helicopter that crashed into the East River yesterday afternoon.

Along with the pilot, the helicopter carried French, Australian, and English tourists. Five people were taken to Bellevue Medical Center and two to New York University Downtown Medical Center.

It was initially reported that there were no serious injuries, but one woman later fell into a medically induced coma and was listed in critical condition, according to the Associated Press.

Several police officers arriving early at the scene were surprised that the potentially deadly incident was buttoned up so quickly.

“I could not believe they were all standing there when I arrived, it caught me off guard,” Inspector Michael Coan told The New York Sun.

“Thank God,” an officer who was keeping civilians out of the cordoned-off area said. “It could have been so much worse.”

The helicopter, operated by Helicopter Flight Services, a company that offers sightseeing rides over Manhattan, crash-landed into the East River seconds after takeoff at 1:29 p.m., a few yards from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on Pier 6, just above the Battery in Lower Manhattan.

The pilot inflated flotation devices and the helicopter quickly capsized, bobbing on the river’s surface. Four of those aboard climbed onto the chopper’s belly and three were trapped in the water as the wreckage floated north in the strong current.

Launches 34 and 37, and a scuba team of the NYPD harbor unit, nearby conducting a drill, were the first to respond to the emergency call. Two passengers were immediately rescued from the water and the third, a female who inhaled water and would later fall into a coma, was rescued with a specially fitted basket.

Concerned about a strong current, Officer John Margaria jumped onto the belly of the capsized chopper and secured a line that allowed the wreckage to be towed about 300 yards to Pier 11, where it was tied to the dock and the four remaining victims disembarked. An Army Corps of Engineers’ tugboat, equipped with a crane, later removed the wreckage. The helicopter sustained significant damage: Its front windows were blown out, its tail dangled loosely, and its propeller blades appeared bent or severed.

Mayor Bloomberg arrived at Pier 11 alongside Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly before 3 p.m. The mayor surveyed the wreckage, chatted casually with police officers, and was fully briefed in a closed-door meeting inside a mobile command center set up on the pier. He addressed reporters, praising the coordinated rescue efforts of the NYPD, the Fire Department, the Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Transportation, the Port Authority, and the EMS.

“These tourists will have a story to tell when they get home,” the jacketless mayor told reporters in front of a backdrop of the salvaged helicopter and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash. The helicopter, a Bell 206 Long Ranger, was purchased used in 1996 and was flying at its maximum capacity of six passengers and one pilot.

A police officer who spoke with the pilot soon after the crash said there was no sign of intoxication.

Helicopter Flight Services offers 15-, 20- and 30-minute sightseeing tours for between $129 and $275 a person.