Two die after boat capsizes near Liberty Island

A 27-year-old woman and a 5-month-old baby died after a boat overturned near Liberty Island in New York Harbor on Saturday night, and the vessel’s captain was arrested on reckless endangerment charges, authorities said.

The victims, whose names have not been released, were pulled from the water and taken in critical condition to NYU Langone Health in Brooklyn, where they were pronounced dead, the New York City Police Department said. The Guardian and CBS News, citing police, reported the infant was a girl. Authorities have not said whether the woman and baby were related.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, was arrested early Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, an NYPD spokesperson told The Guardian. CBS News also reported, citing the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, that Hernandez was arrested Sunday on 13 reckless endangerment counts. The U.S. Coast Guard described the person arrested as the boat’s captain and said investigators were working with New York police to determine “whether the operation constitutes an illegal charter operation.”

Accounts from authorities differed slightly on the timing and number of people rescued. The NYPD told The Guardian that police received a 911 call at 10:25 p.m. reporting an overturned vessel near Liberty Island, within the 1st Precinct. CBS News, citing the NYPD, reported police were called at 10:55 p.m. The NYPD said its Harbor Unit, SCUBA Team and Aviation responded to the scene.

“On Saturday, August 8, 2026, at approximately 2225 hours, police received a 911 call reporting an overturned vessel in the vicinity of Liberty Island, within the confines of the 1st Precinct,” the NYPD said, according to The Guardian. “The NYPD’s Harbor Unit, SCUBA Team and Aviation responded to the scene.”

The Guardian reported that divers found the woman and baby in the water after police deployed a helicopter unit. CBS News reported that the two were located and transported to the hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival.

Other people aboard survived. The Fire Department of New York said 11 people were rescued and taken to area hospitals with minor injuries, NBC News reported. The Guardian, citing a police spokesperson, said a dozen other people were rescued from the vessel before police arrived and later taken to hospitals. CBS News similarly reported that 12 people had been rescued from the water before officers arrived.

Officials have not released details about the boat or its operator beyond the arrest. The Coast Guard confirmed to NBC News that the vessel was towed to shore and remained in police custody as of Sunday morning.

Police said they are investigating the cause of the incident. The Coast Guard said its investigators are coordinating with the NYPD as part of the inquiry.

Liberty Island, located on the New Jersey side of New York Harbor, is home to the Statue of Liberty. The island is a major tourist destination, drawing visitors to the statue and boat tours that pass through the harbor.