A birthday outing on New York Harbor turned tragic late Saturday when an overcrowded motorboat carrying 14 people overturned near Liberty Island, leaving a young mother and her baby daughter dead.
The 22-foot bowrider had been booked through “Zeus Luxury” as part of a surprise celebration for passenger Paula Rivera’s 41st birthday, her daughter, Sara Raez, told The Post.
Relatives and friends set out from Randall’s Island at about 7 p.m., expecting an evening cruise and photo-filled sightseeing trip around the Statue of Liberty.
But within hours, the small boat — allegedly packed beyond a safe capacity — capsized in the harbor, killing 5-month-old Antonella Garcia and her mother, 27-year-old Sara Sanchez of College Point, Queens.
“We got into the boat, it was kind of like a yacht. We went to the Statue of Liberty, but we passed in a restaurant to go to the bathroom. Then we went to the Statue of Liberty. We took some pictures, and then we head back,” said Raez, 20, who was also on the boat.
Raez said the return trip seemed calm at first, until panic broke out without warning. “When we were heading back, we were slow, but out of nowhere, people started screaming because the front of the boat went into the water,” she recalled.
“The water got into the boat. The boat went up, and when it went down, it was in seconds, it flipped over,” she said, describing how quickly the New York Harbor boating accident unfolded.
“Everyone was on the bottom of the boat. We were just trying to get out. Then, when finally everyone got out, everyone was screaming, because we were still missing them, too.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
