NEW YORK CITY — The captain of a 22-foot recreational speedboat that capsized in New York Harbor near Liberty Island has been taken into federal custody, facing criminal charges after an overloaded vessel turned upside down, resulting in the deaths of a 27-year-old mother and her 5-month-old daughter.
Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, appeared in federal court in Manhattan facing two counts of misconduct or neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, in addition to 13 state counts of reckless endangerment.
Overloaded Vessel Capsizes Near Liberty Island in Nighttime Excursion
Emergency crews responded to a 911 call around 10:25 p.m. reporting an overturned boat carrying 14 passengers in the Hudson River near Liberty Island.
According to federal court documents, Hernandez was operating a 22-foot Bayliner bowrider on behalf of a luxury rental company when he executed a sharp turn into the wake of a larger vessel. Attempting to accelerate through the swell, the overloaded boat lost stability and flipped.
Key Case Information:
• Incident Location: New York Harbor near Liberty Island / Buoy 32
• Victims: Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella
• Total Passengers On Board: 14 people (on a 22-foot boat)
• Defendant: Manuel Hernandez, 46 (Facing federal charges carrying up to 20 years)
• Investigating Agencies: NYPD Harbor Unit, U.S. Coast Guard, CGIS
Heroic Good Samaritan Rescue Effort
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Immediate Response: Eleven of the 12 survivors were rescued from the water by the crew of a nearby commercial hot tub boat, Sea the City II, which rushed to render aid.
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Scuba Divers Deploy: NYPD SCUBA divers located Sara Sanchez and her baby, Antonella, beneath the water.
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Hospital Declarations: Both victims were rushed in critical condition to NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, where they were pronounced dead.
Federal Investigation Focuses on Illegal Charter Operations
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and NYPD are conducting an active marine casualty investigation to determine if the trip was being run as an uninspected, illegal passenger charter.
Under federal maritime law, operating a commercial passenger-for-hire charter requires specific Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment, and vessel capacity certificates that were allegedly absent during Saturday’s cruise.
Court Proceedings and Conditions of Release
During his initial court appearance in Manhattan, Hernandez was granted a $50,000 bond. As conditions of his release, he was ordered to:
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Surrender all international travel documents.
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Refrain from operating any nautical vessels or boats.
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Avoid all contact with surviving passengers or employees of the tour company.
Hernandez is scheduled to return to federal court for a preliminary hearing in September.
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