Tragedy at the Statue of Liberty: Mother and 5-month-old baby girl killed when boat capsized
12 people were rescued from the water after a motorboat capsized in New York Harbor. The 46-year-old boat operator was arrested and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Authorities are investigating whether it was an illegal passenger charter.
Tragedy in New York Harbor: A 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old baby girl were killed on Sunday after a motorboat capsized on Saturday night near Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty stands, as reported by the AP news agency.
According to the US Coast Guard, the 22-foot boat capsized around 10:25 PM local time. 12 people were rescued from the water before the police arrived. Later, police divers located the woman and the baby in the water. Both were taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The other passengers were in stable condition.
The boat operator, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez from New York, was charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment.
"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 difficult time," said Captain Zeita Merchant, commander of the Coast Guard sector in New York. "We are grateful for the brave and swift actions of our partner agencies and the vessels that assisted in rescuing the survivors from the water."
Adam Schwartz, from a tourism company that operates boats in New York, said that the company's boat was on a tourist cruise when the accident occurred and took the 12 survivors on board.
"Our captain and two crew members assisted immediately, called the Coast Guard, and then coordinated with the Coast Guard and the NYPD harbor units to bring them to shore in Brooklyn," Schwartz told AP.
The Coast Guard and police continue to investigate the circumstances of the accident. According to Merchant, investigators are committed to bringing those who broke the law to justice.
The Coast Guard is also checking whether the boat was operated as part of an illegal commercial charter, which refers to operating a vessel to transport passengers for a fee without the required permits, safety equipment, and appropriate inspection certificates.
