Speedboat driver charged after capsizing on Statue of Liberty tour,
killing infant and mother
[August 11, 2026]
By MICHAEL R. SISAK, LAURA TURBAY and LARRY NEUMEISTER
NEW YORK (AP) — A speedboat that capsized during a nighttime tour around
the Statue of Liberty, drowning a baby girl and her mother, was
illegally chartered, overcrowded and operating with a slew of safety
violations, federal prosecutors said Monday.
The boat’s pilot, Manuel Hernandez, was charged with causing the deaths
of 5-month old Antonella Garcia and 27-year-old Sara Sanchez through
misconduct or neglect.
Hernandez wasn’t licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, wasn’t aware of basic
safety rules and told investigators he had borrowed his friend’s
personal vessel for the excursion in New York Harbor, prosecutors said.
Antonella wasn't wearing a life preserver because the boat didn't have
any for small children, prosecutors said. Instead, Hernandez told
Sanchez she needed to wear a life vest and hold the infant throughout
the hourslong tour, a violation of federal regulations, prosecutors
said.
Hernandez, 46, of Manville, New Jersey, wiped his eyes as he arrived for
his initial appearance in Manhattan federal court. He was not required
to enter a plea and was released on $50,000 bail. He and his lawyer, Amy
Gallicchio, declined to comment as she led him to a waiting vehicle.
The tour was organized through Zeus Luxury Rental Inc., which had a boat
catch fire last year during a birthday charter cruise on Long Island
Sound. A Coast Guard investigator said in Hernandez’s criminal complaint
that the company does not appear to have applied for Coast Guard
licensing.
Messages seeking comment were sent to a phone number and email address
listed on Zeus Luxury’s website. The voicemail box for the phone number
was full, according to an automated recording.
Charter company had a boat burst into flames last year
Authorities said the 21-foot Yamaha AR210 had 14 people aboard — well
over its 10 person capacity — when it swamped and sank around 10:20 p.m.
Saturday as Hernandez made a U-turn in choppy waters possibly caused by
the wake of a larger vessel.
The boat was later pulled from the water and taken to a New York Police
Department facility.
Zeus Luxury advertises its services on social media platforms including
Instagram and TikTok, marketing itself as “one of the leading companies
in limousine, party bus, and yacht rentals in the tri-state area” and
touting a fleet of vehicles including such high-end brands as Mercedes,
Hummer, Rolls-Royce, and Cadillac.
According to his criminal complaint, Hernandez told investigators he had
worked for Zeus Luxury on a freelance or contract basis since last year,
starting as a limousine driver. He said that twice recently he used his
personal boat, a slightly larger Yamaha AR250, but used a friend’s boat
on Saturday because his needed repairs, the complaint said.
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Manuel Hernandez leaves U.S. district court in Manhattan with his
lawyer, Amy Gallicchio, on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, after being
charged in the deaths of two people in a boating accident in New
York Harbor. (AP Photo/Larry Neumeister)
In June 2025, a boat on a company-organized charter cruise burst
into flames near the Bronx. All 22 passengers survived. Some were
pulled from the water and others swam to safety on nearby Hart
Island. Three passengers were injured, authorities said. Loriann
Garcia went into cardiac arrest and is now suing the company. Two
others had severe burns.
The pilot of that boat, Joshua Brito, was indicted on charges
including vehicular assault, reckless endangerment and operating a
vessel while intoxicated. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free
on bail.
“This is just a fly-by-night company,” Garcia’s lawyer, Rose Day,
said. The vessel Garcia was on didn’t have life preservers and Zeus
Luxury wasn't properly insured, she said.
“Here we are, same thing, one year later. Same company, same
reckless acts,” Day said. “It’s shocking that this has happened and
sickening at the same time.”
A mother and daughter gone, a partner and father left grieving
Saturday's tour began around 7 p.m. and the vessel capsized more
than three hours into its journey. Hernandez tried to accelerate to
pass through the swell, but water swamped the bow and the boat
immediately capsized, prosecutors said.
Hernandez admitted to investigators that had never sought required
licensing and claimed he was unaware it was needed, according to the
complaint.
Hernandez said he capped trips using his personal boat at 12
passengers, but that he did not know the maximum capacity for the
boat he used on Saturday. Hernandez said he thought there would be
12 passengers on the tour but ended up agreeing to take 13, the
complaint said.
An online campaign to help Sanchez's partner, Andres Garcia, pay for
funeral and other expenses had topped $25,000 by Tuesday afternoon.
Garcia also was on the boat.
Sanchez's neighbor, Diego Naranjo, said he first met her last spring
when her son threw a ball into their Queens backyard. After
recovering the ball, Naranjo invited her son to play on a trampoline
with his children.
“They were really nice people," Naranjo said. “You can see when a
person is noble.”
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