A boat captain has been arrested after a vessel overturned in New York Harbor, killing a 27-year-old woman and a 5-month-old baby near the Statue of Liberty.
Police arrested 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez following the Saturday night accident. He faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment in connection with the incident.
The 22-foot Bayliner boat was carrying 14 people when it overturned near Liberty Island at about 10:25 p.m., according to authorities.
The sudden capsizing sent everyone aboard into the water. Emergency crews and NYPD divers rushed to the scene, and 12 people were rescued. Most of those who survived suffered minor injuries.
The woman and infant were found in the water by police divers and taken to a hospital in critical condition. Despite efforts to save them, both later died.
Police have not publicly released the names of the victims as authorities work to notify their families.
What caused the boat to overturn?
The exact cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The number of people aboard the boat is expected to be part of the investigation, but authorities have not yet announced a final determination about what caused the vessel to capsize.
The U.S. Coast Guard and New York authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The arrest of Hernandez marks the latest development in the case, while investigators continue working to determine what happened in the moments before the boat overturned.
For now, the tragedy has left two people dead, including an infant, while a dozen others survived the nighttime accident in one of New York Harbor's busiest areas.
