Queens community mourns loss of mother, baby killed off Liberty Island after boat capsized

A community in Queens is mourning the loss of a woman and her 5-month-old daughter after a boat capsized in the New York Harbor.

A family trip ended in heartbreaking loss for Andres Garcia, who tragically lost both his wife and child.

It happened Saturday night when emergency crews responded to an overturned 22-foot boat carrying 14 people near Liberty Island. While 12 people were safely rescued, NYPD divers pulled out Sara Sanchez, 27, and her baby, Antonella. Both later died at the hospital.

Garcia, who was also on board, survived with minor injuries.

In the College Point neighborhood where the family lives and at the Flushing hotel where Garcia works, friends are trying to raise funds to support him and the couple's 6-year-old son as they cope with this overwhelming loss.  

Marco LaGuardia Hotel Assistant General Manager Santina Wiggins said Garcia is a hard worker who is very reliable.

"It's just tragic. It's just very sad, and we wish it just didn't happen to him. He was such a good person," Wiggins said. "He's always spoken about her and his family, his growing family."

The family's neighbor described the baby girl and her parents.

"She was very cute, smiling all the time," Diego Naranjo said. "They were very respectful."

The captain of the boat, Manuel Hernandez, was initially arrested by the NYPD on 13 counts of reckless endangerment, but police sources confirm he has since been transferred into federal custody. 

The U.S. Coast Guard is actively investigating whether the vessel was operating as an illegal charter, meaning it lacked the required credentials, safety equipment or inspection certificates for passenger-for-hire trips.  

Formal federal charges against the 46-year-old are pending.