Two Dead, Multiple Passengers Injured After Boat Capsizes Near Liberty Island
The fatal capsizing underscores the risks of recreational boating accidents.
A boating accident near Liberty Island in New York Harbor resulted in the deaths of an adult passenger and an infant and sent multiple other passengers to area hospitals.
According to news reports, the 22-foot powerboat overturned late Saturday night, prompting a significant emergency response involving marine, scuba, and aviation units. Rescue crews pulled 14 people from the water. Two passengers were transported to a hospital in critical condition and later died, while the remaining passengers reportedly suffered minor injuries.
Authorities have charged the boat’s operator with multiple counts of reckless endangerment. The U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service, and local law enforcement are investigating the cause of the capsizing, including whether the vessel may have been operating as an unauthorized charter.
Serious boating accidents can occur because of overcrowding, operator error, excessive speed, alcohol use, inadequate safety equipment, hazardous weather or water conditions, equipment failures, or other forms of negligence. When passengers are injured or killed, determining responsibility may require investigating the vessel, its operator, its ownership and maintenance, passenger capacity, safety practices, and compliance with state and federal boating regulations.
Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky’s team of boating and maritime injury lawyers have unrivaled experience representing seamen, passengers, and others who have been catastrophically injured or tragically killed in boating or maritime accidents. The firm has secured multimillion-dollar settlements for victims of boating and maritime accidents and has handled high-profile boating accidents, including a $17 million settlement for a duck boat accident that killed two students and injured 12 others, and the Branson, Missouri duck boat accident that killed 17 passengers.
Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Attorneys are monitoring the situation and available for comment.
Contacts:
Robert Mongeluzzi | rmongeluzzi@smbb.com | 215.575.2989
Andrew Duffy | aduffy@smbb.com | 609.320.4919