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Boat capsizes near Liberty Island, killing mother and baby; operator charged
A 22-foot speedboat capsized near Liberty Island on Saturday night, leaving a mother and her 5-month-old daughter dead. Twelve other passengers were rescued from New York Harbor.
NEW YORK - A 22-foot speedboat capsized near Liberty Island on Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old daughter, while 12 other passengers were rescued from New York Harbor, authorities said.
The vessel’s operator, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez, was arrested Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment as authorities investigate the cause of the incident and whether the boat was operating as an illegal charter.
Mother and daughter dead
What we know:
The vessel overturned at approximately 10:25 p.m. Saturday near Liberty Island, sending all 14 people on board into the water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and The Associated Press.
Twelve passengers were pulled from the harbor by a Good Samaritan vessel and responding agency crews before police arrived. NYPD divers subsequently located the remaining two victims in the water. Both were transported in critical condition to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, where they were later pronounced dead.
Authorities identified the victims as Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, of Queens. The 12 survivors were reported to be in stable condition.
Police then arrested the boat's operator, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez of Manhattan, at 2:27 a.m. Sunday in the 72nd Precinct.
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life last night, and our thoughts are with the victims’ family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time," Captain Doreen McCarthy, commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, told FOX 5 N.Y.
"We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessel who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water," she added.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the capsizing or whether the vessel was operating as an illegal charter; the Coast Guard defines an illegal charter as any passenger-for-hire operation that lacks required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment or valid inspection certificates.
Captain McCarthy stated that Coast Guard investigators are collaborating with the NYPD to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by The Associated Press, FDNY, NYPD and the U.S. Coast Guard.