Operator charged after boat capsizes off Liberty Island, killing mother, infant daughter; 12 rescued
A mother and her baby were killed when a boat capsized near Liberty Island on Saturday night. The Statue of Liberty is seen here from Manhattan on Sunday. Credit: Ed Quinn
A Manhattan man has been charged with reckless endangerment after the boat he was operating capsized off Liberty Island late Saturday, killing a woman and her 5-month-old baby, authorities said.
Sara Sanchez, 27, and infant Antonella Garcia, of College Point, were identified as the mother and child. The two were pulled from the waters of New York Harbor in critical condition and pronounced dead shortly after at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.
Police charged the boat's operator, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez, with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. He was booked at the NYPD's 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, just before 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
Twelve other people on the boat, a 22-foot white bowrider, were pulled from the water with minor injuries and transported to hospitals, officials said. They were all in stable condition Sunday. The NYPD's harbor unit, scuba team and aviation unit responded to a 911 call about an overturned boat about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Police could not say whether the infant's father was aboard.
Bowrider boats have seating in front of the controls, as well as aft of the steering wheel, and are generally used for recreational purposes, like water skiing, according to Petty Officer 3 Breanna Boardman.
U.S. Coast Guard and NYPD investigators were looking into whether the boat was chartered illegally, and whether it had the required credentials, safety equipment and certified inspections. The Coast Guard and NYPD were also investigating why the boat capsized, authorities said.
"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," Capt. Doreen McCarthy, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York, wrote in a statement Sunday. "We are committed to holding illegal operators accountable to highest extent of the law to ensure the safety of everyone on our waterways."
Involved in the rescue were two Coast Guard boats, four FDNY and two NYPD boats and an NYPD helicopter. A good Samaritan on another boat also helped rescue people from the water, McCarthy added.
Newsday's Janon Fisher contributed to this story.
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