Boat Pilot Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Capsizing in New York Harbor

Manuel Hernandez, 46, the charter-boat pilot accused in a deadly capsizing in New York Harbor, pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges tied to the Aug. 8 deaths of Sara Sánchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella. Prosecutors say Hernandez was piloting a Yamaha AR210 with 13 passengers when he accelerated through a swell near Liberty Island, swamping the bow and capsizing the boat. Court documents allege the vessel was overloaded—14 people versus a 10-person maximum—without required Coast Guard certification and without a life preserver for a child under 13. The Coast Guard is also investigating whether the trip was an illegal charter.