The captain of the boat that capsized on Saturday night near the Statue of Liberty in New York was arrested early Sunday morning following the accident that left two people dead, including a five-month-old baby.
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The detainee was identified as Manuel Hernández, 46 years old and a resident of Manhattan. According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), he is charged with 13 counts of recklessly endangering others.
The accident occurred around 10:25 PM on Saturday, when the police received a 911 call reporting a capsized boat in the Hudson River, near Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located.
The boat was near buoy 32, between the island and the Bay Ridge anchorage. The Port Unit, diving teams, and the New York Police aviation unit were dispatched to the scene.
In total, 14 people were on board the boat at the time of the accident.
Twelve of them had already been pulled from the water before the police teams arrived. Subsequently, divers located a 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old baby, who were transported in critical condition to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.
Both were later declared deceased at the medical facility.
The authorities have not yet released their identities, pending notification of their families, and the police have not confirmed the relationship between them.
According to the information provided, 11 of the survivors were assisted by the captain and crew of another boat that arrived at the scene, identified as See the City II.
According to information released by U.S. media, the capsized boat was a recreational motorboat about 22 feet long, approximately 6.7 meters, although authorities have not provided further details about its operator.
The United States Coast Guard is conducting an open investigation to determine what caused the capsizing.
A witness identified as Madeleine Montero described a large emergency deployment in the area after the accident.
“I saw three helicopters, two boats operating in the water, and many ambulances from NYU [Langone Hospital], police, firefighters, and trucks,” she told FreedomNewsTV.
The other rescued people were taken to medical centers with minor injuries, according to available information.
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