A 27-year-old mother and her 5-month-old daughter died after a charter boat capsized in the waters near Liberty Island on Saturday night, prompting a massive multi-agency rescue effort and the arrest of the vessel's operator. The Liberty Island charter boat capsize sent 12 other passengers into New York Harbor, all of whom were pulled from the water and treated for minor injuries, according to officials.
The boat overturned at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday, according to ABC7 New York, though the BBC reported that police received a 911 call about an overturned boat near Liberty Island at roughly 10:25 p.m. local time. The discrepancy in the exact minute is minor, but both outlets agree the emergency unfolded late Saturday night in the waters surrounding the island that houses the Statue of Liberty.
The victims were identified as Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, according to ABC7 New York. Both were pulled from the water and rushed to NYU Langone Brooklyn in critical condition, where they were later pronounced dead. The U.S. Coast Guard described the two deceased passengers as a mother and child, though police told ABC7 it was not immediately clear whether the pair were biologically related. ABC7's reporting, however, indicates Sanchez was indeed Antonella's mother, based on accounts from family acquaintances.
A Massive Search and Rescue Response
The capsizing triggered a large-scale emergency response spanning multiple agencies. The FDNY, NYPD Harbor Unit, NYPD Scuba Team and NYPD Aviation Unit all responded to the scene, according to ABC7 New York. The Coast Guard said the rescue operation ultimately involved two Coast Guard boats, four fire department boats, two police boats and a police helicopter.
A nearby commercial tour operator, Sea the City, spotted the capsized vessel and moved in to help before official rescuers arrived. The company's founder, Adam Schwartz, told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that his crew helped pull 11 people from the water. NYPD divers later located Sanchez and Antonella Garcia.
"We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessel who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water," said Capt. Doreen McCarthy of the U.S. Coast Guard.
In total, 12 people were rescued from the water and transported to hospitals with what officials described as minor injuries; the BBC reported they were listed in stable condition.
Operator Arrested, Illegal Charter Under Investigation
Police arrested the boat's operator, identified as Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, and charged him with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, according to both ABC7 New York and the BBC. Investigators from the Coast Guard, working alongside the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the NYPD, are examining whether the outing was operating as an illegal charter — meaning a passenger-for-hire trip conducted without the required credentials, safety equipment, or certificate of inspection, the Coast Guard said.
Police identified the vessel as a 22-foot bowrider power boat, a recreational design that typically accommodates 10 to 12 people. With 14 passengers aboard in addition to the operator, according to the combined count of those rescued and those who died, the boat may have been significantly over its typical passenger capacity, though officials have not officially confirmed an exact occupancy limit for the vessel or stated definitively that it was overloaded. The investigation into what caused the fatal capsizing remains active, and the names of the surviving passengers have not been released by officials.
A Birthday Celebration Among Church Friends
According to ABC7 New York, the adults aboard the boat were church friends who had gathered to celebrate a birthday. Sanchez and her husband brought their infant daughter along for what was intended to be a festive outing on the water. The couple's 6-year-old son was not on the boat; he was at home with a babysitter when the capsizing occurred.
Sanchez lived in College Point, Queens, and neighbors there expressed shock and grief on Sunday as news of her death spread. "I'm in shock," Diego Naranjo, a neighbor, told ABC7 New York. "For the family, sending condolences to the family. May they rest in heaven."
The young father who survived the capsizing was described by his employer as inconsolable. According to ABC7 New York, the boss said the man had worked hard to support his wife and two children. The family had emigrated from Colombia and had no other relatives in the United States. The employer has since started a fundraiser to help support the grieving father, who now faces raising his surviving son without his wife and infant daughter.
Witnesses on shore described a chaotic and urgent scene as rescue boats sped back and forth near Liberty Island late Saturday. "I saw a lot of ambulances, firefighters, and then I saw that there were boats here," said witness Madeline Hunter. "And then people were just saying that there was a mother and a child that needed to be rescued from the water and that they were found."
Officials have not yet detailed what caused the bowrider to overturn, whether weather or wake conditions played a role, or how many passengers the vessel was legally permitted to carry. The Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service and NYPD continue to investigate both the mechanics of the capsizing and whether the trip constituted an unlicensed commercial charter operation. Hernandez's case, meanwhile, moves forward in the courts, with the 13 reckless endangerment counts reflecting the number of passengers who were aboard the vessel at the time it capsized.
