New York boat captain arrested after deadly capsizing

NEW YORK – The operator of a 22-foot boat capsize in New York Harbor close to Liberty Island is set to be charged criminalty, for a night-time crash or overturned that killed a mother and her 5-month-old infant daughter.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, of New York City, was arrested early Sunday morning on 13 counts of reckless endangerment as state and federal authorities begin a coordinated investigation to determine if the boat was being used as an unlicensed passenger vessel.

Accident Leaves Two Dead in the Water at Liberty Island A frantic emergency began unfolding at around 10:25 pm Saturday, August 8, 2026, after New York City emergency 911 call operators began to receive calls of an overturned recreational vessel in the waterways surrounding Liberty Island.

Aboard were 14 passengers traveling on a night cruise of New York Harbor. They were being hosted by a young couple from Queens. It was, said the police not before a rapid search when of the remaining, the search teams found the remaining two people.

A total of twelve survivors were quickly pulled out from cold Harbor waters by crew of another boat belonging to a private company, Sea the City, that had also seen the overturned vessel, reported the incident and was able to immediately respond. By the time Harbor and divers began arriving at the scene from NYPD, two individuals were seen on and at bottom of the water.

Both were then given immediate to help and taken to the hospital, where unfortunately, both of them have passed away at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. They are both being formally identified in NYPD’s initial reporting as Sara Sanchez, 27, and her infant child Antonella Garcia, both residents of Queens.

Twelve survivors were hospitalized for minor injuries/hypothermia and are in stable condition including Mr. Antonio Garcia. Federal Investigation on Possible Illegal Boat Rental In tandem with the NYPD’s filing charges against Hernandez, authorities at Coast Guard Sector New York, along with members of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) launched a full-fledged probe of what is believed to be an unauthorized passenger vessel.

Under maritime federal law, it is illegal to conduct business as a charter for any passenger on the water in New York. This operation includes being commercially authorized, obtaining a valid captain’s license issued by the Coast Guard, having certain safety certifications and proper insurance.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life, and our heartfelt thoughts go out to the victims’ family and loved ones. We are unwavering in our commitment to ensuring operators are held to account for unlawful acts on our waterways to promote the highest standards for maritime safety for everyone on the waters,” stated Capt. Doreen McCarthy.

“We ask the people who hire these unregistered/unqualified operators to be aware that this carries risks with potentially severe legal implications.” So Now What? Hernández, an off-duty officer with the New York City Department of Transportation, remains in custody in NYPD’s Manhattan courthouse awaiting legal processing through New York State.

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It’s possible Additional charges, such as operating an unauthorized passenger vessel and the lack of any licensed personnel on board could potentially follow in accordance with the full scope of findings at Coast Guard’s investigation of capacity limits, engine certifications and overall marine condition of Hernandez boat at the time of capsize.