Captain charged after woman and five-month-old die in New York boat capsizing

Manuel Hernandez charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment after boat overturned in New York harbor

The captain of a boat that capsized in the New York harbor on Saturday evening has been charged following the deaths of a 27-year-old woman and her five-month-old daughter.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, was arrested and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment in the early hours of Sunday morning, a New York police department spokesperson told the Guardian.

Police responded to a 911 call at 10.25pm by deploying a helicopter unit to the scene, where divers then found the woman and baby in the water, the spokesperson said.

The two victims, whom the NYPD named as Sara Sanchez and her daughter Antonella, were then transported in critical condition to NYU Langone hospital in Brooklyn, where they were pronounced dead.

“On Saturday, August 8, 2026, at approximately 2225 hours, police received a 911 call reporting an overturned vessel in the vicinity of Liberty Island, within the confines of the 1st Precinct,” the NYPD said. “The NYPD’s Harbor Unit, SCUBA Team and Aviation responded to the scene.”

A dozen other people were rescued from the vessel before the police arrived, and later transported to hospitals, according to the spokesperson.

“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,” said Captain Doreen McCarthy, the US Coast Guard sector New York commander. “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.”