NEW YORK — The captain of a motorboat that capsized near New York's Liberty Island, killing a woman and her 5-month-old daughter, was arrested and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, police said.
The 46-year-old captain, Manuel Hernandez, was arrested early Sunday after the 22-foot vessel overturned in New York Harbor at about 10:25 p.m. on Saturday, the New York Police Department said.
The NYPD said 14 people were aboard the boat. Twelve survivors were rescued and taken to hospitals for treatment, according to authorities.
Police divers found the woman and infant in the water. They were taken to a Brooklyn hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead, the NYPD said. Authorities have identified the woman as 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and the child as her daughter, Antonella.
The U.S. Coast Guard and NYPD are investigating the circumstances of the capsizing, including whether the vessel was being operated as an illegal charter and whether it complied with applicable safety and credentialing requirements, according to authorities.
Coast Guard officials said multiple agencies and a nearby vessel assisted in the rescue operation.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not announced a final determination on what caused the boat to overturn.
