Boat captain charged after New York Harbor crash kills mother and infant

Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manville, New Jersey, was charged Monday in U.S. District Court with two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death following a capsizing incident in New York Harbor on Saturday night. The indictment alleges that Hernandez operated an unregistered Yamaha AR210 jet vessel without the required merchant mariner credential or Coast Guard certificate of inspection and without infant-size personal flotation devices on board. The boat, used for a $1,800 tour of 13 passengers, exceeded its maximum capacity of 10 people.

According to the complaint, Hernandez told authorities he was unaware of the vessel’s capacity limits and that he had not sought the necessary certifications because he did not know they were required. During the tour, after a U-turn created a swell possibly caused by a larger passing vessel, the bow was swamped and the boat capsized. All 13 passengers and the captain were thrown into the water; rescue crews recovered 11 passengers and the captain, while the bodies of Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, were later retrieved and pronounced dead at a Brooklyn hospital.

Sanchez had been traveling with her infant and the child’s father, identified by co-workers as Andres Garcia. Prior to departure, Hernandez asked the parents about infant flotation devices; they did not have any, and he instructed a parent to hold the baby while wearing a personal flotation device. Prosecutors say the boat was not equipped with child-size life jackets, a violation of federal safety regulations that require children under 13 to wear appropriate devices.

Hernandez appeared in court without entering a plea and was released on $50,000 bail. His court-appointed attorney, Amy Gallicchio, declined to comment. Community members and the employers of Garcia, who survived the crash with a six-year-old child, have organized support efforts, including an online fundraiser.