Speedboat driver charged after capsizing on Statue of Liberty tour, killing infant and mother | Chattanooga Times Free Press

A speedboat capsized during a nighttime tour around the Statue of Liberty, drowning a baby girl and her mother, and federal prosecutors said Monday that the trip involved illegal chartering, overcrowding and safety lapses. The pilot, Manuel Hernandez, was charged in connection with the deaths of 5-month-old Antonella Garcia and 27-year-old Sara Sanchez. Prosecutors said Hernandez wasn’t licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, was unaware of basic safety rules, and told investigators he used a friend’s personal boat for the excursion in New York Harbor. They said there were 14 people aboard the 21-foot Yamaha AR210, exceeding its 10-person capacity, and that small children did not have life preservers. Hernandez, 46, of Manville, New Jersey, was released on $50,000 bail in Manhattan federal court.