NEW YORK — The captain of a boat that capsized near Liberty Island in New York Harbor, killing a woman and her 5-month-old daughter, has been arrested and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, authorities said on Sunday.
The 46-year-old captain, Manuel Hernandez, was arrested early Sunday after the vessel overturned at about 10:25 p.m. on Saturday, according to the New York Police Department and U.S. Coast Guard. The case remained under investigation, and authorities were examining whether the boat was being operated as an illegal charter.
The 22-foot powerboat was carrying at least 14 people when it capsized in the vicinity of Liberty Island, the Coast Guard and police said. Twelve people were rescued from the water and taken for medical treatment, according to authorities.
Police divers located the woman and infant in the water and brought them to shore. Both were transported in critical condition to a Brooklyn hospital, where they were pronounced dead, authorities said.
The NYPD said its Harbor Unit, scuba team and aviation unit responded after receiving a 911 call reporting an overturned vessel. A nearby sightseeing boat also assisted in rescuing survivors from the water.
Adam Schwartz, whose sightseeing company operates the assisting vessel, said its captain and crew members helped the survivors and coordinated with the Coast Guard and NYPD Harbor units.
The Coast Guard said investigators were working with New York police to establish the circumstances of the accident and determine whether the vessel met applicable safety and credentialing requirements. An illegal charter operation can involve carrying passengers for hire without required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment or inspection certificates.
Captain Doreen McCarthy, commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, expressed condolences to the victims' families and praised the agencies and private vessel that assisted in the rescue.
The cause of the capsizing had not been established publicly as of Sunday. Hernandez faced the reckless-endangerment charges as the investigation continued, and authorities had not announced any additional charges.
