Woman and infant die after boat capsizes near Liberty Island

A woman and a five-month-old baby girl died after a boat overturned near Liberty Island, raising immediate questions about what caused the vessel to capsize in one of New York City’s busiest waterways and whether safety rules were followed aboard the trip.

Police said the NYPD was called to the overturned vessel at 22:55 on Saturday in New York Harbor. Twelve people had already been rescued from the water before authorities arrived, and the harbor unit, scuba team and aviation team were deployed to the scene. The woman and infant were taken to hospital in critical condition and were declared dead on arrival.

CBS News reported that the victims were a 27-year-old woman and the baby girl. Fox News and NBC News reported that the boat had a dozen people on board. No arrests had been made.

The location added to the urgency. The capsize happened near Liberty Island, in the Statue of Liberty area, a stretch of water that carries tourist traffic and heavy maritime use. In a city where harbor tours, private excursions and commuter routes all share the same waterways, investigators will need to determine whether passenger limits were exceeded, whether life jackets were being worn and whether the operator followed required safety procedures.

The tragedy also comes against the backdrop of a deadly 2022 capsizing in the Hudson River, off Manhattan near the USS Intrepid, where 12 people were on the boat, 11 others were injured and two people died, including a child. That earlier case underscored how quickly a boating emergency can turn catastrophic on New York waters, even in areas that are heavily trafficked and closely watched.

Authorities had not identified the vessel by name in the available reports, and the cause of the overturn remained unresolved. For families and passengers who depend on harbor trips and private boats across New York Harbor, the central questions are straightforward: how the vessel lost stability, who was responsible for the boat’s operation and whether the basic protections meant to keep riders alive were in place when the boat went over.