Captain charged after boat capsizes near Statue of Liberty, killing mother and infant daughter

(CNN) — A woman and her baby died after a boat carrying 14 people capsized near the Statue of Liberty on Saturday night, authorities said — triggering a multiagency search for the victims in the busy waters of New York Harbor.

The captain of the boat, Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, was arrested early Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, the New York Police Department said.

The US Coast Guard is investigating what caused the boat to capsize and whether the vessel was operating illegally as an uncredentialed charter, the agency said. The investigation is being conducted with the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the NYPD.

An illegal charter is a passenger-for-hire operation that lacks required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment and a certificate of inspection, according to the Coast Guard.

“We are committed to holding illegal operators accountable to (the) highest extent of the law to ensure the safety of everyone on our waterways,” said Capt. Doreen McCarthy, the Coast Guard’s Sector New York commander.

It’s not clear what type of boat the passengers were on, but a law enforcement source briefed on the investigation told CNN investigators believe the boat was likely over capacity.

Twelve of the 14 people on the boat had been pulled from the water before police arrived, the NYPD said. Eleven of them were saved by the captain and crew of the first boat to arrive on scene, a hot tub boat – a small vessel outfitted with two full-size hot tubs that takes passengers on tours around New York Harbor, according to Adam Schwartz, the owner of the tour company, Sea the City.

After authorities arrived, search-and-rescue teams located Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, both of Queens, in the water, police said. Both were taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn in critical condition, where they were later pronounced dead, police said. The baby’s father was also on the boat and is among the survivors, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN Sunday.

The remaining survivors are in stable condition, the US Coast Guard said.

Police said they received a 911 call at about 10:25 p.m. Saturday reporting an overturned vessel near Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty. The boat was in the Hudson River near Buoy 32, between the Statue of Liberty and Bay Ridge Anchorage, police said.

The capsizing triggered a large emergency response in the dark waters near Liberty Island, located south of Manhattan, between New Jersey and Brooklyn. The response involved air and water rescue teams from three agencies – the Coast Guard, the city’s fire department and the NYPD. The NYPD’s Harbor Unit, SCUBA Team and Aviation Unit – all part of the department’s specialized operations teams that help handle search-and-rescue missions – responded to the scene.

The area around Liberty Island is a high-traffic part of New York Harbor, used by commercial and recreational vessels. The island is one of New York’s top tourist destinations, with various charter companies and boat tour operators offering trips to view the Statue of Liberty from up close.

Temperatures Saturday night were about 80 degrees Fahrenheit under clear skies, with light westerly winds of around 10 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

“I saw three helicopters, two active boats on the water, and just a lot of NYU (Langone hospital) ambulances, cops, firefighters, trucks,” witness Madeleine Montero told FreedomNewsTV.

CNN affiliate WABC reported the capsized boat was a 22-foot bowrider, a common type of recreational powerboat. CNN has reached out to authorities for more information about the vessel.

In July 2022, a boat chartered by a group of family and friends capsized in the Hudson River off Midtown Manhattan, killing 7-year-old Julian Vasquez and 47-year-old Lindelia Vasquez. The boat’s owner and captain later pleaded guilty to a federal charge of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death; prosecutors said he had run paying tours without the required Coast Guard credentials.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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