The operator of a motorboat that overturned in New York Harbor, killing a young mother and her infant daughter, was not licensed to captain the vessel and had been hired as a limousine driver, according to newly filed court documents.
Federal prosecutors allege that Manuel Hernandez, 46, was running an illegal charter trip Saturday night when he packed 13 passengers onto a 21-foot boat. Authorities said the vessel failed to meet required safety standards, including having life jackets sized for children or infants.
Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, drowned shortly before 10:30 p.m. after the boat was hit by a swell while making a U-turn near Liberty Island. Survivors, thrown into panic, held onto the capsized vessel as they waited for rescuers to reach them.
Hernandez appeared Monday afternoon in Manhattan federal court, where he was arraigned on misconduct and neglect charges. He stood before the judge still dressed in a white bathing suit and swim shoes.
Follow the latest on the boat crash off Liberty Island in New York Harbor:
Police arrested Hernandez after the deadly incident, and the NYPD initially charged him with more than a dozen counts of reckless endangerment. Federal prosecutors later added their own charges.
Hernandez was expected to be released on a $50,000 bond while awaiting his next court appearance, scheduled for Sept. 9.
Survivors told The Post that Hernandez swam to the hull of the overturned boat as passengers desperately searched for missing relatives, including Sanchez and baby Antonella, but could not find them in time.
