Boat Operator Arrested After Deadly Capsizing Near Statue of Liberty

The incident occurred around 22:25 local time on Saturday night near Liberty Island, prompting a large search and rescue operation involving two Coast Guard boats, four fire department boats, two police boats and a police helicopter. A Good Samaritan vessel rescued 12 people from the water before police arrived, the US Coast Guard said. Divers later recovered the woman and infant, who were taken to a nearby hospital where they died.

The operator, a 46-year-old Manhattan resident, faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Coast Guard investigators are also determining whether the boat was illegally chartered. We are extremely grateful for the heroic, swift actions of our partner agencies and Good Samaritan vessel who assisted in rescuing survivors from the water, said Capt Doreen McCarthy of the Coast Guard. The names of passengers and the specific cause of the incident have not been released, and the investigation is ongoing.