A New York Harbor boat crash near Liberty Island has left a Queens mother and her 5-month-old daughter dead after a crowded motorboat flipped late Saturday night. Police sources identified the victims Sunday as Sara Sanchez, 27, and her infant daughter, Antonella Garcia, both of College Point.
The pair were among 14 people aboard a 2019 21-foot white Yamaha AR210 when it capsized just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, according to police sources. Sanchez’s boyfriend, who was Garcia’s father, was also on the boat at the time. The vessel is typically listed as carrying about 10 people, but a well-placed source told The Post it should not have had more than five passengers for the conditions in the area where the fatal crash happened.
The scene of the New York Harbor boat crash raised familiar concerns about how dangerous the waterway can be, especially at night. A source described recreational boating in the harbor as unpredictable, citing hazards that include debris, rip rap, bridge abutments, anchorage chains, commercial shipping channels, and marine plane traffic. The crash happened close to Liberty Island, one of the busiest and most recognizable spots in the harbor.
Police said the boat’s operator, Manuel Hernandez, 46, was charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Investigators were also expected to pursue additional charges tied to the deaths of the mother and child. Hernandez’s last known address was a Midtown Manhattan building just south of Central Park, though his exact relationship to the victims has not been established in the information released so far.
