NY Harbor Boat Flip Probe Turns to Illegal Charter Claim

The New York Harbor boat flip probe has widened as federal investigators look into whether the captain was running an illegal charter operation and whether the vessel carried more passengers than allowed. The crash killed a mother and her baby daughter after the motorboat overturned off Liberty Island late Saturday night.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, was moved into federal custody on Sunday after receiving treatment at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Medical Center, sources told The Post. He had first been taken into NYPD custody Saturday night and faced 13 reckless endangerment charges, but those local charges are no longer being pursued as the federal case advances. Investigators are now focusing on whether the 2019 white 21-foot Yamaha motorboat was overloaded when it flipped with 14 people aboard, including Hernandez.

Authorities are also examining whether Hernandez was operating an illegal charter business. In federal maritime terms, that would mean a passenger-for-hire operation without the required US Coast Guard credentials, safety gear, or certificate of inspection. The Coast Guard had already said it was looking at the doomed outing as a possible illegal charter and promised to hold unauthorized operators accountable. That makes the New York Harbor boat flip not only a rescue and recovery story, but also a federal enforcement case tied to passenger safety on the water.