A survivor of a deadly boat capsize in New York Harbor recounted holding a 5-month-old infant just moments before the child and her mother were killed when their vessel overturned near Liberty Island.
Elizabeth Velez told NBC New York that she was holding Antonella Garcia, attempting to help her mother, Sara Sanchez, 27, fit the baby with a life jacket. Prosecutors stated that no child-sized life jackets were available, and the 14 friends on board were not required to wear them.
"She was a very happy girl. She didn’t cry the whole way," Velez said of Antonella, who was killed along with her mother when the motorboat flipped late Saturday.
The group had gathered to celebrate a birthday for a member of their church congregation. "It was a celebration, and it ended in tragedy," Velez stated.
Approximately three hours into their trip, just before 10:30 p.m., the boat was caught in a strong swell and capsized. "That current came, and it was strong. I closed my eyes, and there was no time for anything," Velez described. Upon surfacing, she realized Sanchez and Antonella were missing.
The boat's captain, Manuel Hernandez, has been charged with two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. Prosecutors allege that Hernandez knowingly operated the vessel with an infant on board without ensuring the child wore a life vest.
The vessel, reportedly with a capacity of 10, was dangerously overcrowded, and prosecutors noted the absence of child- or infant-sized life vests. Hernandez was released on $50,000 bail and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
