What Happened When a Boat Flipped Near the Statue of Liberty

A boat flipped over in New York Harbor near Liberty Island on the evening of August 8, 2026. A 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old baby girl were killed. The boat's captain, Manuel Hernandez, 46, was arrested early the next morning and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, according to The Guardian.

The NYPD got a 911 call at about 10:25 p.m. on Saturday saying a boat had turned over near Liberty Island. Police sent their Harbor Unit, a dive team, and helicopters. Divers found the woman and the baby in the water. Both were rushed to NYU Langone hospital in Brooklyn in critical condition, where they were pronounced dead.

About 12 other people were rescued from the boat before police arrived. Those people were later taken to hospitals. It has not been reported how they are doing.

Hernandez was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 9, according to YaktriNews. An NYPD spokesperson confirmed the arrest to The Guardian. The 13 counts of reckless endangerment match the 13 people other than Hernandez who were on the boat: the 12 rescued passengers plus the two who died.

This happened in one of the busiest and most closely watched waterways in the United States. Liberty Island sits in Upper New York Bay, surrounded by ferry routes, Coast Guard patrols, and recreational boats. The NYPD's Harbor Unit is always present in these waters. The fast response — helicopters, divers, and harbor patrol all arriving at once — shows the system already in place for a harbor that serves millions of ferry passengers every year.

In New York, a reckless endangerment charge means someone is accused of doing something that created a big risk of serious injury or death to another person. The charge does not require proof that the person meant to kill anyone. The most serious version, called first-degree reckless endangerment, applies when the conduct shows a "depraved indifference to human life." It is a felony, which means a serious crime. Whether the Manhattan District Attorney's office changes or adds to these charges as the investigation continues is an open question.

Several details that would matter for any trial or safety review are not yet in the available reporting: how many people the boat was built to hold, whether it was properly registered, what the weather and water were like that night, whether everyone was wearing life jackets, and whether the captain had drugs or alcohol in his system. The NYPD's investigation will usually cover all of these before the case goes to prosecutors.

The broader context here is how boats like this one are regulated in New York Harbor. Big commercial ferries are inspected and licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard. But smaller private and chartered boats fall under a mix of state and federal rules depending on the boat's size, how many people are on board, and whether the operator is being paid to carry passengers. An incident this serious — 14 people on one boat near a famous national landmark — will likely draw attention not just from the NYPD and the Manhattan DA's office, but also from the Coast Guard, which can independently investigate boat safety, the captain's qualifications, and any rule violations.

For people who manage safety on the waterfront, the case will be watched for what it shows about possible gaps in enforcing rules — like whether boats are carrying too many people and whether captains of private boats are being checked carefully enough when they operate near busy ferry routes.