VIDEO — NYC Boat Tragedy: Passengers Were Celebrating a Birthday When Vessel Flipped, Killing Mom and Baby

Passengers in the deadly boat accident on Saturday in New York Harbor were celebrating a woman’s birthday when the tragic incident happened. There were 14 people onboard the motorboat chartered with “Zeus Luxury” when it capsized, leaving a mother and her baby dead after the group set out to view the Statue of Liberty for Paula Rivera’s 41st birthday excursion, the New York Post reported Sunday. The lives tragically lost were identified as five-month-old Antonella Garcia and her mother, 27-year-old Sara Sanchez of Queens. Divers later located their bodies at the scene, Pix 11 reported Sunday: The 22-foot bowrider-style pleasure boat was reportedly overloaded, and those vessels are typically used to carry up to 10 people at a time, according to Breitbart News. Rivera’s daughter, Sara Raez, told the Post everyone onboard was screaming when they realized the front of the boat went into the water before going up and down, then flipping over seconds later. “Everyone was on the bottom of the boat. We were just trying to get out. Then, when finally everyone got out, everyone was screaming, because we were still missing them, too,” she explained, noting the group managed to flag down a nearby boat for help. The infant’s father was among those rescued. Police said the boat’s captain, Manuel Hernandez, is now facing 13 charges of reckless endangerment in the case, according to the Post. The report said officials are working to determine if the boat was operating illegally. A source told the outlet “Recreational boating in New York Harbor is the Wild West. Uncharted debris, rig rap, bridge abutments, marine plane traffic.” Hernandez reportedly underwent toxicology tests and law enforcement said he did not appear to be impaired when the incident happened. Video footage showed the boat being pulled from the water: “In a bowrider, as the name implies, many passengers are typically carried in a recessed sitting area at the front of the boat,” according to Breitbart News.