{
  "id": 403624,
  "title": "New York Harbor boat capsizes near Statue of Liberty, killing mother and child; operator charged",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/new-york-harbor-boat-capsizes-near-statue-of-liberty-killing-mother",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-09T19:57:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/new-york-harbor-boat-capsizes-near-statue-of-liberty-killing-mother-and-child-operator-charged-11786304618724.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A speedboat capsized in New York Harbor, resulting in the deaths of a mother and her 5-month-old daughter, according to the US Coast Guard. The incident occurred near Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, on Saturday evening around 10:25 p.m. Twelve people were rescued before police arrived at the scene. Police divers later found the victims in the water, where they were pronounced dead at a hospital. The boat's operator, Manuel Hernandez, aged 46, has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, reported authorities. Police have not disclosed the identities of the victims pending family notification. The cause of the accident is under investigation, with the Coast Guard collaborating with police to determine if the vessel was operating as an illegal charter. An illegal charter involves passengers being carried for hire without proper Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment, or inspection certificates. Captain Doreen McCarthy, Coast Guard Sector New York commander, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and commended the swift actions of emergency responders and a Good Samaritan vessel that aided in the rescue.",
  "summary": "A speedboat capsized in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty on Saturday evening, resulting in the deaths of a mother and her 5-month-old daughter. The boat operator, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez, has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Authorities are investigating whether the vessel was being operated as an illegal charter, which involves carrying passengers for hire without the required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment, and inspection certificates. The Coast Guard, police, and a Good Samaritan vessel worked together to rescue the 12 surviving passengers from the water. The victims were taken to a hospital but were pronounced dead shortly after. The Coast Guard Commander Doreen McCarthy expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and praised the emergency response.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}