The New York police charged a New York City man with reckless endangerment in the death of two passengers, including an infant, who died after a boat capsized off the coast of Liberty Island late Saturday night, according to the Department’s public information unit.
Manuel Hernandez, a 46-year-old resident of Midtown Manhattan, was arrested on 13 counts of reckless endangerment in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 9, police stated. Police did not specify Hernandez’s suspected role in the fatal incident.
Rescue teams and other first responders were called to the scene in New York’s Upper Bay after receiving reports of the vessel overturned off the coast of Liberty Island shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, the Department stated.
Before crews arrived, 12 surviving passengers had been removed from the bay, but NYPD search units discovered a 27-year-old woman and 5-month-old girl still in the water suffering critical injuries, according to police.
The victims were rushed to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where they were later pronounced dead. As of late Sunday morning, police had not identified the victims as authorities worked to notify the victims’ families.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for Hernandez’s arresting documents.
This story will be updated as further details are released.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NYPD arrests NYC man after boating accident kills 2 off Liberty Island