Overview
- The vessel overturned near Liberty Island late Saturday night, about 10:27 p.m., prompting an immediate multi-unit search and rescue operation.
- Two deaths have been reported: an unidentified woman and an unidentified five-month-old baby who were taken to hospital and later pronounced dead, according to early media and police-source reports.
- Dozens of people were pulled from the water by NYPD divers and FDNY Harbor, Scuba and Aviation units, and the FDNY says twelve people with minor injuries were taken to area hospitals.
- The U.S. Coast Guard and city investigators are probing the incident and plan to interview the boat’s captain; officials have not yet released a verified passenger count or a cause for the capsize.
- Witness footage and hospital scenes show distraught relatives and survivors holding life jackets, and the case is likely to raise scrutiny of small-boat operations and nighttime safety in New York Harbor as investigators continue their work.