The captain in command of the ill-fated boat that tragically overturned and sank near the iconic Statue of Liberty, resulting in the deaths of two individuals, now faces a slew of charges.
Manuel Hernandez, aged 46, is confronted with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. The charges arise after a 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old infant girl lost their lives when the vessel capsized in the bustling waters of New York Harbor on a fateful Saturday night.
Allegations against the boat captain suggest he was piloting the 22-foot bowrider motorboat while dangerously overcapacity, carrying 14 passengers when it overturned around 10:30 PM, as reported by the New York Police Department.
Responding emergency teams discovered the woman and the infant girl at the accident site, both of whom were airlifted in critical condition to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, according to police sources.
Tragically, both victims succumbed to their injuries. As of now, it remains uncertain whether the deceased were related, and their names are being withheld pending notification of their families, stated the NYPD.
A large search and rescue operation was launched after the incident, as 12 people were rescued with minor injuries and transported to hospital.
Harrowing cries from loved ones of the victims could be heard at the hospital, the New York Post reported.
Manuel Hernandez, 46, faces 13 charges of reckless endangerment after a 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old girl were killed when the boat capsized in New York Harbor on Saturday night
Sources told the New York Post that the boat captain, who has not been publicly identified, had been operating the vessel while it was dangerously overloaded with 14 people onboard
Multiple units from the FDNY, Harbor, Scuba and Aviation, responded to the scene in the Hudson River near Buoy 32 between the Statue of Liberty and Bay Ridge Anchorage
‘No. Why? Why? No,’ a relative reportedly screamed in horror. People at the hospital were also reportedly still holding their life jackets.
Multiple units from the FDNY, Harbor, Scuba and Aviation, responded to the scene in the Hudson River near Buoy 32 between the Statue of Liberty and Bay Ridge Anchorage, police told CNN.
Divers with the New York Police Department were also seen in the water rescuing passengers.
Footage from the scene showed multiple emergency vessels in the water flashing lights.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the NYPD for more information.
The tragedy comes just over a month after a seaplane carrying eight people crashed into the East River, sparking an intense rescue effort on July 5.
The NYC Fire Department said the Kodiak 100 single-engine turbo prop made a hard landing on the water but all on board were safely rescued.
Two of them were Khloe Todd, 16, and her grandmother Ada Todd, 75, who were in the Hamptons celebrating one of Ada’s friends’ birthday.
The tragedy comes just over a month after a seaplane carrying eight people crashed into the East River, sparking an intense rescue effort on July 5
The NYC Fire Department said the Kodiak 100 single-engine turbo prop made a hard landing on the water but all on board were safely rescued
‘Plane is upright in the water and being towed back to dock. Eight civilians removed from plane by FDNY units,’ FDNY said at the time.
‘Two civilians with minor injuries are being evaluated by EMS.’
New Yorkers filmed the plane hit the choppy water and partially capsize, and rescue boats scramble to help the passengers from the stricken aircraft.
The passengers and crew were seen being assessed by ambulances near the entrance to FDR Drive after being brought to shore.
The aircraft was flying in from East Hampton Town, Long Island, and departed at 10.38am, according to flight data.
Blade Air told the Daily Mail the hard landing was likely caused by choppy water from passing boats and Saturday night’s thunderstorm.
‘There were a lot of ferries in the vicinity and there may have been wind at the last second,’ a source at the company said.
‘The waves they create can be a problem as you try to land on the water.’
Blade said the impact cracked one of the plane’s struts – which connects the pontoons to the body of the plane – which also caused damage to one of the pontoons.
This is a breaking news story.