Woman, baby die after boat capsizes near Statue of Liberty; operator facing charges
Sources tell News 12 Manuel Hernandez, 46, is under federal custody and faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment after a boat capsized Saturday night near Liberty Island, killing a mother and her 5-month-old baby.
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Sources tell News 12, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez is under federal custody after a boat he was operating Saturday night capsized near the Statue of Liberty killing a 27-year-old mother and her 5-month-old baby.
The U.S. Coast Guard say they got a call that the 22-foot Bayliner speedboat overturned around 10:25 p.m. near Liberty Island.
A total of 14 people were on the boat when it turned over. The FDNY, NYPD, and the Coast Guard rushed to the scene, deploying multiple rescue boats and an NYPD helicopter.
All the passengers were found, but the 27-year-old mother and her 5-month-old baby were pronounced dead shortly after the rescue.
Over the weekend the Italian restaurant that the husband, Andres Garcia, worked at as a waiter created a GoFundMe to aid the grieving father during this time. The post says in part, "Andres must now find the strength to move forward and be there for their 6-year-old son."
The post also names the wife, Sara Sanchez. Garcia was also on the boat when it turned over but survived.
Coast Guard investigators are working to determine if Hernandez was operating an illegal charter on Saturday.
