Boat Pilot Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal New York Harbor Capsizing
Photo: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, via Gothamist.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The pilot accused of operating an overloaded charter boat that capsized in New York Harbor, killing a mother and her infant daughter, pleaded not guilty Thursday, Sept. 10, according to Gothamist.
Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, 46, faces two federal counts of misconduct or neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if he is convicted.
The charges stem from the Aug. 8 capsizing of a Yamaha bowrider near Liberty Island. Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, died. The other 12 people aboard the vessel were rescued.
Federal prosecutors allege that Hernandez-Umana operated the boat as a charter for paying customers without the required U.S. Coast Guard credentials. Authorities said 14 people were aboard the vessel, which had a maximum capacity of 10, and that no infant-sized life jacket was available.
Court records allege the boat capsized after Hernandez-Umana made a U-turn in choppy water and accelerated toward a swell, causing water to wash over the bow.
A federal grand jury indicted Hernandez-Umana on Sept. 3. He consented to detention during Thursday’s court appearance and will remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn while the case proceeds.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement previously detained Hernandez-Umana after he was released on bond in the criminal case. The Department of Homeland Security has alleged that the El Salvador native is not lawfully present in the United States.
The charges are allegations. Hernandez-Umana is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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