blog trackingweb statistics
×
In
Boat Accidents and Disasters

ICE arrests operator of boat that capsized in New York, killing 2

Updated Aug. 20, 2026, 12:00 p.m. ET

The operator of a boat that capsized in New York Harbor earlier this month, killing a woman and an infant, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and authorities said they will seek to deport him.

The boat overturned near the Statue of Liberty on Aug. 8, authorities previously said. A 911 call came in at about 10:30 p.m., and multiple boat teams, a scuba team and a helicopter unit responded. Twelve people were rescued from the water, but a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old baby were pronounced dead at a hospital.

The boat’s operator, 46-year-old Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, has been charged federally with two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, each of which could lead to up to 10 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Aug. 10. The New York Police Department also said he faced charges of 13 counts of reckless endangerment.

On Aug. 19, the Department of Homeland Security announced he was arrested by ICE.

DHS said Hernandez told investigators he entered the United States illegally through Texas in 2007, lying to a border officer and falsely claiming to be U.S. citizen so he could enter the country, DHS said. Hernandez is a national of El Salvador and lived in Manville, New Jersey.

“Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.

Amy Gallicchio, Hernandez’s public defender, declind to comment on Aug. 20.

Authorities said Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana was illegally operating a tour boat in New York Harbor when it capsized, killing a woman and baby. This image shows the boat being lifted out of the water by a crane.

What happened in the boat capsizing in New York Harbor?

Hernandez was piloting the boat, a Yamaha AR210 with a capacity of 10 people, for a tour operations company, investigators said in a criminal complaint. The boat was filled over its capacity and had 14 people on board at the time it capsized, officials have said. The group had paid $1,800 for the Aug. 8 ride, the complaint said.

About three hours and 20 minutes into the ride, Hernandez piloted the vessel in a U-turn, which investigators believed brought the boat into a swell caused by a larger passing boat. The swell “swamped the bow of the Vessel andimmediately capsized the Vessel,” investigators wrote in the complaint.

Everyone on the boat was thrown overboard.

Hernandez did not have registration for the Yamaha or certification to operate the boat with paying customers, investigators said. There was no child- or infant-sized life vest on board, according to the complaint.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Featured Weekly Ad

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Author

seoexperts1994@gmail.com

Related Posts

In

Mayor moves to ban Cornell event permits after rape allegations

The mayor of Ithaca, the New York city home to Cornell University, called for a ban on student event and special event...

Read out all
In

Federal court halts execution of Christa Pike in 11th hour

A federal court has stayed the execution of Christa Pike less than two hours before it was set to be carried out....

Read out all
In

‘A tired refrain.’ Critics fight adding Trump’s name to Kennedy Center

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's opponents to putting his name on the Kennedy Center called his argument that the venue would fail...

Read out all
In

Israel-bound jet lands in Saudi Arabia after apparent pilot fight

A commercial passenger jet bound for Tel Aviv from Dubai made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after an apparent fight broke...

Read out all
In

Trump to send $500 ACA refund checks to nearly 1 million Americans

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is set on Sept. 30 to start sending $500 checks to nearly 1 million Americans his administration...

Read out all
In

In 2016, Gretchen Carlson’s lawyer warned: “They’ll kill you”

More VideosThe battle to stop deepfake abuse before it spreadsSee shark swim in severe New Jersey floodingWhy are so many ICE employees...

Read out all