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Feds taking over case of boat that capsized in New York Harbor, killing mom and baby
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Aug 10, 2026
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By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Aug 10, 2026
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The NYPD said the case of a man originally charged by local authorities with more than a dozen counts of reckless endangerment after operating a boat that capsized in the New York Harbor Saturday evening, killing a mother and her daughter, will be moved to federal prosecutors.
The United States Coast Guard has previously said it was investigating whether the captain, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez of Manhattan, was operating an illegal charter boat. The Southern District of New York did not indicate Monday morning specific charges against Hernandez and whether it's investigating the charter’s legal status.
According to police, 5-month-old Antonella Garcia and her 27-year-old mother, Sara Sanchez, died when a 22-foot bowrider capsized near the Statue of Liberty around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. Two Coast Guard Station New York boats, four FDNY and two NYPD boats, as well as an NYPD helicopter were deployed to rescue people found in the water, according to the US Coast Guard.
A dozen other people were reported on the boat and police said they were in stable condition. There were 14 people in total on the boat. Standard 22-foot bowriders fit about nine to 10 people.
A GoFundMe fundraiser by friends and colleagues of Andres Garcia identified as Sanchez’s husband and father of the five-month old. According to the fundraiser, Garcia was also on the boat during what was the page described as an accident.
“Those of us who know and work with Andres want to come together around him and their son during the most difficult time of their lives,” the fundraiser said, referring to another child of the family, six-year-old Salvador Garcia. “Donations will help with funeral and memorial expenses, time away from work, daily living expenses, caring for their son, and the many unexpected costs that come with a tragedy of this magnitude.”
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Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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