Unlicensed boat pilot charged after NY Harbor capsize kills mother and infant
Federal prosecutors say Manuel Hernandez piloted a 22-foot bowrider in New York Harbor without the required Merchant Mariner Credential, overcrowded with 14 paying passengers (well above the 10-person limit), and carried a 5-month-old infant without an infant life jacket, contributing to the capsizing that killed a mother and her baby near the Statue of Liberty. Hernandez is charged with two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer and was released on $50,000 bond; investigators note the vessel could not have a Coast Guard certificate of inspection for carrying paying customers.