NEW YORK — The captain of a boat that capsized near Liberty Island in New York Harbor, killing a 27-year-old woman and her five-month-old daughter, has been arrested and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, authorities said.
Manuel Hernandez, 46, was arrested in the early hours of Sunday after the vessel overturned at about 10:25 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, the New York Police Department said. The U.S. Coast Guard is also investigating the incident.
Police said the vessel overturned near Liberty Island, prompting the NYPD Harbor Unit, Scuba Team and Aviation Unit to respond. Divers recovered the woman and infant from the water and they were taken to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where they were pronounced dead.
The NYPD identified the woman as Sara Sanchez and said the child was her daughter, Antonella. Sanchez was 27 years old, authorities said.
A dozen other people were rescued from the water and taken to hospitals, according to authorities. The Fire Department of New York said the survivors suffered minor injuries.
The boat was a 22-foot powerboat carrying at least 14 people when it capsized, according to authorities. Investigators are examining the circumstances of the accident, including whether the vessel was operating as an illegal charter, the Coast Guard said.
“Coast Guard Investigators are also determining whether the operation constitutes an illegal charter operation,” the service said, adding that it was conducting a marine casualty investigation with the Coast Guard Investigative Service and NYPD.
Captain Doreen McCarthy, commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and praised the agencies and a nearby vessel that helped rescue survivors.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not publicly established what caused the boat to capsize. The charges against Hernandez are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Coast Guard and NYPD are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal capsizing.
