The captain of a boat that capsized in New York Harbor late Saturday, killing a 5-month-old infant and a 27-year-old woman, has been charged with more than a dozen offenses, including reckless endangerment.
The 46-year-old operator, a Manhattan resident whose name has not yet been released, faces 13 charges after the motorboat he was steering flipped over near Liberty Island shortly before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. Authorities stated that additional charges are pending.
According to NYPD sources, the vessel, identified as a 22-foot bowrider motorboat, was carrying 14 people at the time of the incident. The two deceased passengers, a woman from Queens and an infant, have not been publicly identified pending notification of their families, the NYPD confirmed.
Multiple agencies, including the NYPD, the FDNY, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Air Sea Rescue, responded to the scene. The captain was taken into custody. Images from the scene showed rescue craft with flashing lights searching the waters at night, with NYPD helicopters overhead and FDNY vessels patrolling.
The remaining 11 passengers were rescued from the water and transported to Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn, where they were treated for minor injuries and reported to be in stable condition. Survivors were seen clutching life jackets in the hospital lobby.
Wreckage of the overturned boat was visible as NYPD Harbor Unit officers investigated the incident at their Brooklyn base on Sunday, August 9, 2026.