A private boat carrying 14 people capsized in New York Harbor, killing 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia. Prosecutors allege the Yamaha AR210 was over capacity, lacked infant life vests, and was piloted without proper Coast Guard credentials. The vessel's pilot, Manuel Hernandez, has been federally charged with two counts of misconduct or neglect of a ship officer resulting in death and was released on a $50,000 bond. Federal and local authorities are investigating; Hernandez is due back in court on Sept. 9.
Unlicensed Captain Charged Federally After New York Harbor Boat Capsizes, Killing Mother and 5-Month-Old
Andres Garcia, left, survived a boating disaster that killed his wife, Sara Sanchez, right, along with their 5-month-old daughter. CNN has blurred the face of their son, who was not on the boat, for privacy. - From II Punto Risortante
Saturday evening's pleasant summer weather drew commercial ferries and private craft into a crowded New York Harbor, where passengers craned over rails to glimpse the torch-bearing Statue of Liberty. What began as a routine weekend outing quickly turned deadly when a private boat carrying 14 people suddenly capsized in the waters between the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn shore.
Emergency crews from the NYPD, the U.S. Coast Guard and the New York City Fire Department raced to the scene. Twelve people were rescued from the water; two victims—a 27-year-old mother, Sara Sanchez, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, both of Queens—were taken to a Brooklyn hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead, police said. The other survivors are in stable condition.
Authorities arrested 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez, the vessel's pilot, and federal prosecutors have charged him with two counts of misconduct or neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. Hernandez made an initial federal court appearance and did not enter a plea. CNN contacted his attorney, Amy Gallicchio, for comment.
Allegations and Circumstances
According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Hernandez was operating a commercial tour for paying customers aboard a Yamaha AR210 (reported as a 22-foot bowrider). Prosecutors allege Hernandez lacked the required Coast Guard credentials, that the boat was over capacity, and that there were no infant life vests on board.
More than three hours into the tour, as the craft approached the Statue of Liberty, the complaint alleges Hernandez steered into a swell and increased throttle in an attempt to power through it. The swell swamped the bow, and the boat capsized immediately, the filing says.
Rescue Efforts and Aftermath
Other commercial vessels and first responders coordinated rescue efforts. Prosecutors say the crew of the first boat on scene—a small tour vessel whose owner, Adam Schwartz of Sea The City, said is outfitted with two full-size hot tubs—pulled most survivors from the water before police arrived. Authorities recovered Hernandez and 11 passengers in varying medical conditions; Sanchez and her infant were recovered unresponsive and received CPR but later died at the hospital. The infant's father, Andres Garcia, survived. The couple's 6-year-old son was not on the boat; relatives said the ride was part of a birthday celebration.
Video shared with CNN showed the overturned hull still afloat on Sunday before a floating crane lifted the vessel and placed it bow-first onto the deck of an Army Corps of Engineers ship while nearby tourists watched from the Staten Island Ferry.
Legal Proceedings and Investigations
Hernandez was arrested Sunday morning and released Monday on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond with conditions: he is barred from operating boats or vessels, must surrender travel documents and must not contact passengers or people associated with the operator. He faces a preliminary hearing on Sept. 9.
Local police initially filed 13 counts of reckless endangerment against Hernandez before federal prosecutors assumed the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York emphasized enforcement: "We mourn the tragic drowning deaths of the infant and her mother and urge would-be tour operators and the public to observe all safety protocols for commercial vessels," the office said in a statement.
The U.S. Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the NYPD are conducting inquiries into whether an illegal charter was being operated without required credentials and safety equipment. Capt. Doreen McCarthy, commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, said the service is committed to holding illegal operators accountable "to the fullest extent of the law to safeguard everyone on our waterways."
This case echoes a 2022 incident in which the owner and captain of a charter boat that flipped in the Hudson River pleaded guilty to federal misconduct charges after prosecutors said they ran paid tours without required Coast Guard credentials.
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