In a chilling recount of a maritime disaster near New York’s iconic Statue of Liberty, a survivor has revealed the terrifying moments leading up to the accident that claimed the lives of a young mother and her infant. The mother and her five-month-old child tragically lost their lives when a boat capsized in the storied harbor waters.
Sara Raez, speaking candidly with the New York Post, recounted that she was among a group of 14 family members and friends who had assembled to joyously commemorate a birthday. But what was intended to be a joyous occasion turned into a nightmare late Saturday night.
The joyous gathering had rented a 21-foot Yamaha AR210, model year 2019, from Zeus Luxury Rentals to surprise her mother, Paula Rivera, on her 41st birthday, according to Raez. This would be a remarkable celebration coupled with a scenic cruise.
Setting sail around 7 p.m., Raez described the boat as “kind of like a yacht”. The vessel glided past the Statue of Liberty, offering spectacular views, yet on their way back, the celebration turned into a disaster at approximately 10:30 p.m.
“Water suddenly started filling the boat,” Raez recounted with harrowing clarity. “The vessel tilted upwards, and in the blink of an eye, it overturned completely,” encapsulating the terror and quick descent into chaos.
All of the passengers were then left stuck underneath the vessel, she said, before crews rescued them and pulled them from the water.
‘We were just trying to get out. Then, when finally everyone got out, everyone was screaming,’ Raez added.
Sara Sanchez, 27, and her five-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, were airlifted to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn in critical condition but were later pronounced dead.
Sara Sanchez (right) was killed alongside her five-month-old baby when a boat they were traveling on in New York capsized. Her husband Andres Garcia (left) was also on board
Sanchez, a mother-of-two, was killed when the vessel overturned near Liberty Island at around 10.30pm on Saturday.
Boat captain Manuel Hernandez, 46, faces 13 charges of reckless endangerment after Sanchez and her daughter were killed
A dozen others were also transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Sanchez and her daughter are survived by their husband and father, Andres, who was also onboard the boat Saturday night and survived, as well as the couple’s other son.
‘He lost his wife and daughter. It’s very sad,’ an employee at the restaurant where Andres works as a waiter, Il Punto Ristorante, told the Daily Mail.
Antonio Russo, a manager at the Italian eatery, also told W42St Andres had been working there for five years, describing him as a ‘very hardworking guy.’
The couple had just recently welcomed their baby girl, sharing a video at the end of January showing Sanchez’s pregnant belly covered with lavender butterflies and sparkles.
‘We love you Antonella,’ it read.
As Andres now works to rebuild with his six-year-old son, Salvador, his employers have created an online fundraiser.
‘This past weekend, what was meant to be a joyful family outing ended in an unimaginable tragedy when a boat carrying Andres and his family capsized,’ Il Punto Ristorante posted to Facebook as it shared the GoFundMe.
‘Our hearts are with Andres and his family as they navigate this tremendous loss. We ask our Il Punto community to please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.’
Sara (pictured) and her daughter from College Point, Queens, were two of 14 people on board the 2019 21-foot white Yamaha AR210
The online fundraiser was created by the restaurant and Marco LaGuardia Hotel, where Andres works as a breakfast manager.
‘While trying to process the unimaginable loss of Sara and baby Antonella, Andres must now find the strength to move forward and be there for their six-year-old son, Salvador, who has also suffered a heartbreaking loss,’ it notes.
‘Those of us who know and work with Andres want to come together around him and their son during the most difficult time of their lives,’ the fundraiser continues, explaining that the goal is ‘to help ease some of the financial burden Andres will face in the weeks and months ahead.’
Donations will help cover funeral expenses, daily living expenses, Andres’ time away from work and ‘the many unexpected costs that come with a tragedy of this magnitude,’ it says.
‘No amount of money can replace Sara or Antonella,’ the GoFundMe concludes. ‘But together, we can give Andres some breathing room to grieve, take care of their son, Salvador, and begin facing a future that changed in an instant.’
As the family now continues to grieve, the boat captain, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez, has been charged with 13 charges of reckless endangerment, according to the New York Police Department.
The boat captain had allegedly been operating the 21-foot motorboat while it was dangerously overloaded with 14 people onboard when it turned over at around 10.30pm
The US Coast Guard is also investigating whether Hernandez may have been operating the motorboat as an illegal charter service, lacking required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment and a certification of inspection.
Illegal charters may not meet the same safety standards as legal charters.
‘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,’ Captain Doreen McCarthy, of Coast Guard’s New York Sector said in a statement.
‘We are committed to holding illegal operators accountable to [the] highest extent of the law to ensure the safety of everyone on our waterways.’
Zeus Luxury, from which the bowrider was reportedly chartered, is described online as ‘one of the leading companies in limousine, party bus and yacht rentals in the tri-state area.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the company for comment.
But a source previously told the Post that the boat, with a typical capacity of around ten people, should not have had more than five passengers on board.
‘Recreational boating in New York Harbor is the Wild West,’ the source told the outlet. ‘Uncharted debris, rip rap, bridge abutments, anchorage chains, commercial shipping channels, marine plane traffic.’
An New York City police boat was seen sitting in the New York City harbor
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
Following the devastating trip, harrowing cries from loved ones of the victims could be heard at the hospital, the New York Post reported.
‘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 and Zeus Luxury for more information.