Boat capsizes in major New York harbour killing mother and baby as man arrested

Boat capsizes in major New York harbour killing mother and baby as man arrested Police divers located the 27-year-old woman and five-month-old girl in the water following a crash on Saturday night which saw passengers hurled from a 22-foot Bayliner speedboat into New York Harbour Cops have arrested a man after a mother and her baby were killed in a boat accident in New York Harbour. The operator of the 22-foot Bayliner speedboat is facing criminal charges, the US coast guard said, after the vessel overturned at around 10.25pm on Saturday. The crash, which occurred close to Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, saw more than a dozen people hurled into the water. Twelve people were rescued from the waves before police arrived, and police divers later located the 27-year-old woman and five-month-old girl in the water. Both were taken to hospital where they were tragically pronounced dead. According to the coast guard, the others were in a stable condition. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life last night, and our thoughts are with the victims’ family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Captain Doreen McCarthy, the coast guard sector New York commander, said. “We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessels who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water.” Cops have confirmed that Manuel Hernandez, 46, of New York, has now been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment in connection with the crash. The victims’ identities have not been released pending notification of family, police said on today. Coast guard investigators were working with police to investigate and were committed to holding lawbreakers accountable, Ms McCarthy said. Authorities were investigating whether the vessel was an illegal charter, the service added. According to the coast guard, an illegal charter is any passenger-for-hire vessel operation that lacks coast guard credentials, safety equipment and inspection certificates.