A boat ride to see the Statue of Liberty ended in tragedy late Saturday night when a vessel capsized in New York Harbor, killing a young mother and her five-month-old daughter. Multiple marine units were dispatched to the harbor at around 10:30 p.m. after the boat overturned, rescuing a dozen people from the water and rushing them to the hospital. Among those pulled from the harbor were a mother and her infant child, but the baby did not survive.
The victims were identified as 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her five-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia. The infant's father, Andres Garcia, was also aboard the boat and survived the capsizing. According to his employer, the family had taken their baby daughter on what was meant to be a fun and safe outing on the water to see the Statue of Liberty when the vessel flipped over in the dark.
Andres Garcia is inconsolable, according to his boss, who said the young father worked hard to support his wife and children. The couple lived in College Point, Queens, but were originally from Colombia and had no other family in the United States. The employer said the couple also had a six-year-old son who was with a sitter that night, as the family had gone out to celebrate someone's birthday when the tragedy unfolded.
The boat operator, identified as 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez, was charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. He was being questioned at the NYPD's First Precinct station and could potentially face additional charges as the investigation continues. Authorities said the case remained active late into the night as detectives worked to piece together exactly what happened on the water.
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating what caused the boat to flip over and is also determining whether the operation constituted an illegal charter, coordinating its efforts in conjunction with the NYPD. The Coast Guard said an illegal charter is any passenger-for-hire vessel operation that lacks the required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment, and certificate of inspection.
Officials warned that illegal charter operations often lack necessary safety equipment and may not meet the same safety standards as legal charters, posing a serious hazard to paying passengers. Investigators cautioned that they had not yet determined whether the people aboard the capsized vessel were paying passengers or whether any transaction had taken place before the fatal trip.
Neighbors in College Point remembered the young family of four and struggled to process the loss. One neighbor, Diego Naranjo, described the couple as sweet, caring, and kind, calling them lovely people who were respectful and friendly. The victims' employer has started a fundraiser to help the surviving husband and father, who now faces raising his young son without his wife and infant daughter.