A devastating night on New York Harbor has taken a dramatic legal turn after the captain of a small motorboat that overturned near Liberty Island, killing a 27-year-old mother and her five-month-old daughter, was arrested and hit with 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Manuel Hernandez, 46, was taken into custody in the early hours of Sunday after the 22-foot bowrider capsized shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, sending all 14 people aboard into the dark waters near the Statue of Liberty.

The scale of the rescue quickly became apparent. Emergency crews rushed to the scene as survivors were pulled from the water, with 12 people ultimately rescued and transported to hospital with minor injuries. Police divers later found the two critically injured victims, who were taken to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn but could not be saved.

The tragedy has now placed the spotlight firmly on the boat itself and the decisions made before it overturned. According to police sources, the vessel was carrying 14 people — a number reportedly above the typical capacity of 10 to 12 for that type of boat. Hernandez is accused of operating the vessel in circumstances that led authorities to file 13 reckless-endangerment counts, with additional charges reportedly still possible.

But investigators are still trying to determine exactly what caused the vessel to flip. The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an investigation and is also examining whether the boat may have been operating as an illegal charter, an issue that could add another serious dimension to the case.

Meanwhile, the human cost of the disaster has left survivors and relatives struggling to process what happened. Some survivors were seen still clutching their life jackets after being brought to hospital, while emotional scenes unfolded as loved ones waited for news.

The overturned vessel has since been recovered from the harbor as authorities continue piecing together the final moments before the capsizing. For investigators, the crucial questions now extend beyond the moment the boat went under: why was the vessel carrying so many people, how was the trip being operated, and what happened immediately before the sudden disaster?

As the investigation continues, the number of passengers aboard the small vessel — and the possibility that it was being used for an unauthorized charter — could become one of the most important clues in determining how a night near the Statue of Liberty ended in tragedy.