Boat capsizes in New York Harbor, woman and 5-month-old baby die

FILE PHOTO - The Statue of Liberty and a helicopter lifting off in the haze from the Wall Street heliport are seen in the New York harbor, Thursday, July 6, 2023. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Alert Thursday for the New York Metro area. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

NEW YORK (AP) — A man faces reckless endangerment charges after a boat capsized in New York Harbor, killing a woman and infant, police said Sunday.

The 22-foot Bayliner speedboat overturned around 10:25 p.m. Saturday near Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Twelve people were rescued from the water before police arrived, and police divers later located the 27-year-old woman and 5-month-old girl in the water. Both were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. According to the Coast Guard, the others were treated for minor injuries.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, of New York, has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. No phone number for him could be found Sunday, and the case has not yet been entered into online court records.

The victims’ identities have not been released pending notification of family, police said Sunday.

Don’t miss what everyone in town is talking about.

Join 4,000+ locals and choose our free newsletter covering news, events and the stories shaping our region.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.