Captain of boat that capsized near Statue of Liberty is CHARGED after woman, 27, and baby were killed when ‘overloaded’ vessel flipped

The captain who was in charge of the boat that flipped and capsized near the Statue of Liberty, killing two people, has been hit with a number of charges.

Manuel Hernandez, 46, faces 13 charges of reckless endangerment after a 27-year-old woman and a five-month-old girl were killed when the boat capsized in New York Harbor on Saturday night.

The boat captain had allegedly been operating the 22-foot bowrider motorboat while it was dangerously overloaded with 14 people onboard when it turned over at around 10.30pm, the New York Police Department said. 

Emergency responders found the woman and girl at the scene and they were both airlifted to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn in critical condition, according to police. 

Both were later declared dead. It remains unclear if the two victims who died were related and their identities have not been made public pending family notification, the NYPD said. 

A large search and rescue operation was launched after the incident, as 12 people were rescued with minor injuries and transported to hospital.

Harrowing cries from loved ones of the victims could be heard at the hospital, the New York Post reported.

Sources told the New York Post that the boat captain, who has not been publicly identified, had been operating the vessel while it was dangerously overloaded with 14 people onboard

Multiple units from the FDNY, Harbor, Scuba and Aviation, responded to the scene in the Hudson River near Buoy 32 between the Statue of Liberty and Bay Ridge Anchorage

‘No. Why? Why? No,’ a relative reportedly screamed in horror. People at the hospital were also reportedly still holding their life jackets.

Multiple units from the FDNY, Harbor, Scuba and Aviation, responded to the scene in the Hudson River near Buoy 32 between the Statue of Liberty and Bay Ridge Anchorage, police told CNN.

Divers with the New York Police Department were also seen in the water rescuing passengers.

Footage from the scene showed multiple emergency vessels in the water flashing lights. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the NYPD for more information. 

The tragedy comes just over a month after a seaplane carrying eight people crashed into the East River, sparking an intense rescue effort on July 5. 

The NYC Fire Department said the Kodiak 100 single-engine turbo prop made a hard landing on the water but all on board were safely rescued.

Two of them were Khloe Todd, 16, and her grandmother Ada Todd, 75, who were in the Hamptons celebrating one of Ada’s friends’ birthday.

The tragedy comes just over a month after a seaplane carrying eight people crashed into the East River, sparking an intense rescue effort on July 5 

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The NYC Fire Department said the Kodiak 100 single-engine turbo prop made a hard landing on the water but all on board were safely rescued 

‘Plane is upright in the water and being towed back to dock. Eight civilians removed from plane by FDNY units,’ FDNY said at the time.

‘Two civilians with minor injuries are being evaluated by EMS.’

New Yorkers filmed the plane hit the choppy water and partially capsize, and rescue boats scramble to help the passengers from the stricken aircraft.

The passengers and crew were seen being assessed by ambulances near the entrance to FDR Drive after being brought to shore.

The aircraft was flying in from East Hampton Town, Long Island, and departed at 10.38am, according to flight data.

Blade Air told the Daily Mail the hard landing was likely caused by choppy water from passing boats and Saturday night’s thunderstorm.

‘There were a lot of ferries in the vicinity and there may have been wind at the last second,’ a source at the company said.

‘The waves they create can be a problem as you try to land on the water.’

Blade said the impact cracked one of the plane’s struts – which connects the pontoons to the body of the plane – which also caused damage to one of the pontoons.

This is a breaking news story.