A mother and her infant daughter, both from Queens, have been identified as the two fatalities in a tragic motorboat capsize in New York Harbor on Saturday night.
Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, were among 14 people on a 21-foot Yamaha AR210 when it overturned near Liberty Island around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, according to police sources. Sanchez's boyfriend, who is Garcia's father, was also on board the vessel.
The boat, a 2019 model, typically has a capacity of about 10 people, but sources indicated it should not have been carrying more than five passengers in that location. "Recreational boating in New York Harbor is the Wild West,'' one source told The Post, citing hazards such as uncharted debris, rip rap, bridge abutments, anchorage chains, and commercial shipping traffic.
The operator of the boat, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez, has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Additional charges are anticipated in connection with the deaths of Sanchez and Garcia.
Emergency responders recovered multiple victims from the water, with at least six others hospitalized. The exact relationship between Hernandez and the victims is not yet known. His last known address was in Midtown Manhattan.