Man arrested after boat capsizes near Statue of Liberty, killing woman and infant
A boat capsized near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor on Saturday night, triggering a major rescue operation in which a 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old baby died. The boat's operator has been arrested and charged with reckless endangerment.
A boat overturned near Liberty Island in New York Harbor on Saturday night, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation. A 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old girl died as a result of the incident.
Police said a 911 call reporting the capsized boat came in around 22:25 local time. Before police arrived, a passing Good Samaritan vessel helped pull 12 people from the water, according to the US Coast Guard.
The rescue effort involved two Coast Guard boats, four fire department boats, two police boats and a police helicopter. Police divers later recovered the woman and infant from the water, and both were taken to a nearby hospital, where they subsequently died.
The identities of those on board and the exact cause of the capsizing have not been disclosed. An investigation into the incident is under way.
Operator faces charges
The boat's operator, a 46-year-old Manhattan resident, was arrested and now faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Coast Guard investigators are also looking into whether the vessel was being chartered illegally.
Coast Guard Capt Doreen McCarthy thanked the responding agencies and the Good Samaritan boat crew for their swift, heroic actions in rescuing survivors from the water.
