Woman and baby die after boat capsizes in New York harbour

On Saturday evening, a capsized boat in New York Harbor resulted in the tragic deaths of a mother and her 5-month-old daughter, according to the US Coast Guard. The 22-foot Bayliner speedboat overturned near Liberty Island, close to the Statue of Liberty, around 10:25 PM. Twelve individuals were rescued from the water before police arrived, after which coastguard divers located the victimized woman and her infant in the water.

Both were rushed to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The remaining survivors were reported to be in stable condition.

Captain Doreen McCarthy, the coastguard Sector New York commander, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life, praising the prompt actions of partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessels that assisted in the rescue. Manuel Hernandez, a 46-year-old man from New York, has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. His contact information, however, could not be found as of Sunday, and the case has yet to be entered into online court records. The victims' identities remain undisclosed pending family notification.

Coastguard investigators are collaborating with police in their investigation into the incident. The Coast Guard defines an illegal charter as any passenger-for-hire vessel operation lacking coastguard credentials, safety equipment, and inspection certificates.