Man arrested after boat capsizes near Statue of Liberty killing woman and infant

What the report says

A boat operator has been arrested and charged after a vessel overturned near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, leaving a woman and a five-month-old girl dead, according to BBC World News. Police said the 46-year-old Manhattan resident faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment while investigators continue to examine what caused the incident and whether the boat was being chartered illegally.

Officials said emergency crews mounted a large search-and-rescue response on Saturday night after a 911 call reported an overturned boat near Liberty Island. A Good Samaritan vessel rescued 12 people from the water before police arrived, and the Coast Guard said the response involved multiple boats and a helicopter from the Coast Guard, fire department and police.

New York police divers later recovered the woman and infant, both of whom were taken to hospital and later died. The victims were identified by age in the BBC report, but their names were not released. The incident occurred in one of New York’s best-known waterways, adding public attention to an investigation that remains ongoing.

As background, the area around the Statue of Liberty is heavily trafficked by ferries, sightseeing vessels and private boats, so safety and licensing issues can become central in maritime investigations.