A weekend charter meant as a birthday surprise ended with federal charges in Manhattan on Monday, the New York Times reports. Prosecutors say Manuel Hernandez, 46, was at the helm of a Yamaha AR210 that flipped near Liberty Island late Saturday, killing 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella. A criminal complaint accuses Hernandez of misconduct and neglect as a ship officer, alleging he took 14 passengers out on a vessel rated for 10, lacked the proper Coast Guard credential for carrying paying customers, and operated the boat knowing the infant had no life jacket and that none in her size were on board. If convicted on both charges, he faces up to two decades behind bars, NBC New York reports.
The case is drawing attention to the Queens-based tour operator linked to the outing, Zeus Luxury Rental, which did not respond to requests for comment. The company previously operated a boat that caught fire in 2025 off the Bronx, sending more than 20 people into the water; that pilot, accused of drinking while driving without a captain’s license, faces assault and reckless endangerment charges. Hernandez appeared in federal court Monday and was released on a $50,000 bond. A US attorney said he ignored regulations designed to protect passengers, while a Coast Guard investigator called illegal charters a “gamble with human life.”
One of the passengers described the incident to the New York Post, saying, “Out of nowhere, people started screaming because the front of the boat went into the water. The water got into the boat. The boat went up, and when it went down—it was in seconds—it flipped over.” She says it was more than 15 minutes before another so-called “party boat” came to their aid.