Boat Captain Charged After Overcrowded Vessel Capsizes Near Statue of Liberty, Killing Mother and Infant
A 27-year-old mother and her 5-month-old daughter died Saturday night, August 8, after a boat carrying 14 people capsized in New York Harbor near Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty. The vessel’s operator has been arrested and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, and the U.S. Coast Guard is investigating whether the trip was operating as an illegal charter.
What Happened
Police received a 911 call around 10:25 to 10:55 p.m. Saturday reporting an overturned vessel near Liberty Island, according to CNN and CBS News. The boat was located in the Hudson River near Buoy 32, between the Statue of Liberty and Bay Ridge Anchorage. The capsizing triggered a large multiagency emergency response involving air and water rescue teams from the Coast Guard, the New York Fire Department, and the NYPD, including the department’s Harbor Unit, SCUBA Team, and Aviation Unit, according to CNN.
Twelve of the 14 people aboard were rescued from the water before police arrived at the scene, according to Fox News. NYPD divers subsequently located the remaining two passengers, 27-year-old Sara Sanchez of College Point, Queens, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia. Both were transported to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn in critical condition and were later pronounced dead, according to NBC News. The 12 other passengers rescued from the water were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, according to ABC7 New York.
The Boat and the Overcrowding Concern
Police identified the vessel as a 22-foot Bayliner bowrider power boat, according to NBC News. Bayliner’s own website lists its 22-foot models, including its newest V22 Bowrider, as having a maximum capacity of 10 to 12 people — meaning the boat may have been carrying more passengers than its rated capacity. The New York Post, whose reporting was cited by TMZ, quoted a source saying the vessel should not have carried more than 10 to 12 passengers given the location and potential hazards present in New York Harbor.
The Captain’s Arrest
Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, was identified as the boat’s operator and was arrested early Sunday, August 9, according to the NYPD. He was charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment — one count for each of the other passengers aboard the vessel. Court records were not immediately available Sunday, and it was unclear whether Hernandez had retained an attorney, according to NBC News.
The Illegal Charter Investigation
Beyond the criminal charges against Hernandez, the Coast Guard is examining a broader question: whether the trip was operating as an unauthorized, for-hire charter. According to CNN, an illegal charter is a passenger-for-hire operation that lacks the required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment, and certificate of inspection.
Capt. Doreen McCarthy, the Coast Guard’s Sector New York commander, addressed the investigation directly in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life last night, and our thoughts are with the victims’ family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” McCarthy said, according to Fox News. “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. We are working closely with CGIS and the NYPD to investigate this incident… We are committed to holding illegal operators accountable to the highest extent of the law to ensure the safety of everyone on our waterways.”
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the NYPD, according to CNN.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as rescue crews worked through the night. “I saw a lot of ambulances, firefighters, and then I saw that there were boats here,” Madeline Hunter, a witness, told ABC7 New York. “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.”
Another witness, identified by NBC New York as Montero, described watching rescued passengers receive care at the scene. “They had like white robes on,” she said. “And then they were immediately attended to. Some of them were able to go to the ambulance… I was really worried. I was hoping they were okay.”
Community Response
The tragedy has prompted a response from the surrounding community. According to NBC New York, an Instagram post from Il Punto restaurant offered condolences for an employee whose wife and daughter died in the capsizing, and linked to a fundraising campaign set up to support the victims’ family.
FAQ
How many people were on the boat when it capsized? 14 people were aboard the 22-foot Bayliner bowrider when it overturned near Liberty Island Saturday night.
Who died in the incident? Sara Sanchez, 27, of College Point, Queens, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, both died after being located in the water by NYPD divers and transported to a hospital.
Has anyone been charged? Yes. Boat operator Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, was arrested and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment.
Was the boat legally operating as a charter? That’s under investigation. The Coast Guard is examining whether the trip constituted an illegal, uncredentialed charter operation.
How many people were rescued? 12 of the 14 people aboard were rescued from the water and taken to hospitals with minor injuries before the two fatalities were located.
Conclusion
The fatal capsizing near one of the country’s most iconic landmarks has prompted both a criminal case against the boat’s operator and a broader federal investigation into whether the vessel was operating illegally and overcrowded at the time of the incident. With the Coast Guard, NYPD, and Coast Guard Investigative Service continuing their joint investigation, further details about exactly what caused the boat to capsize — and whether additional charges could follow — are likely to emerge in the days ahead.
Sources: CNN, NBC News, NBC New York, CBS News, Fox News, ABC7 New York, TMZ (reporting dated August 9, 2026).