Captain charged after deaths of mum and baby when boat capsized in New York

A mum and her baby girl died after a boat capsized in New York (Picture: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

A captain has been charged following the death of a baby and a woman when their boat capsized by the Statue of Liberty.

The incident occurred in New York Harbour,where the famous monument stands,on Saturday at around 10.25pm,which is when a 911 call was made.

As a 22ft motorboat suddenly flipped over,14 people were plunged into the choppy waters of the Hudson River near Buoy 32,between the Statue of Liberty and Bay Ridge Anchorage.

The Coast Guard pulled out 12 survivors,who were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

But scuba divers found the dead infant and the woman. They have since been identified as mother and daughter.

Antonella Garcia was five months old,and Sara Sanchez was aged 27,both of Queens.

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.An investigation is underway,with the boat’s captain arrested and charged (Picture: AP Photo/Matt Rourke)They were airlifted to a Brooklyn hospital in critical condition but were later pronounced dead.The baby’s father was also on the boat and is among survivors,a law enforcement official confirmed.In the aftermath,the US Coast Guard said that investigators were en route to interview the vessel’s captain and begin an investigation into why the white Yamaha AR210 flipped.Shortly after,Manuel Hernandez,46,of Manhattan,was arrested.The New York Police Department confirmed he has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment.Authorities are still looking into whether the vessel was operating illegally as an unauthorised charter,which is a passenger-for-hire operation without Coast Guard credentials,safety equipment,or a certificate of inspection confirming its legitimacy.‘We are committed to holding illegal operators accountable to (the) highest extent of the law to ensure the safety of everyone on our waterways,’ said the Coast Guard’s Sector New York commander,Capt. Doreen McCarthy.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .For more stories like this,check our news page.