Overview
- A 21–22-foot recreational bowrider flipped near Liberty Island late Saturday, throwing 14 people into New York Harbor; 12 were rescued and taken to hospitals while 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter Antonella Garcia were later pronounced dead.
- The boat’s operator, Manuel Hernandez, 46, was arrested early Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment and the vessel was taken into police and agency custody.
- The U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service and the NYPD have opened a marine casualty probe focused on why the boat capsized and whether the trip was an illegal charter lacking required credentials and safety inspections.
- Multiple agencies and responders joined the night rescue, including NYPD Harbor, SCUBA and aviation units, FDNY boats, two Coast Guard boats and a Good Samaritan vessel that helped pull survivors from the water.
- Investigators say the boat’s usual manufacturer capacity is about ten passengers, a gap that raises overloading concerns and could prompt tougher enforcement and possible additional charges if illegal chartering or safety violations are found.