Two people, including a 7-year-old boy, died Tuesday after a 27-foot boat capsized in the Hudson River, just north of Pier 79 in Midtown Manhattan, according to police officials. police post.
A police official said in an email that dozens of passengers were on board the overturned boat and one was seriously injured while nine suffered minor injuries. It is not clear what caused the boat to capsize.
Along with the 7-year-old child, a 48-year-old woman died, according to Detective Arthur Tsui of the Police Department.
Mayor Eric Adams was on the scene as a rescue operation was underway and buses, ambulances and fire trucks blocked nearby streets.
Patrol Borough Manhattan South Assistant Chief James McCarthy said in a news conference that the capsized boat “was charted by a family and friends and it was owned by an actual individual on the Jet Ski followed.” boat.”
Harbor Unit Inspector Anthony Russo said a combination of factors, including “a lot of commercial, recreational traffic,” may have contributed to the boat capsizing.
“We have currents, wind, wake up from different directions, waves from different directions,” he said. “It takes some skill to operate the Hudson River, so it could be a contributing factor.”
Mayor Adams warned of accidents on the water in the summer.
“It’s been a stark reminder to us as we go through the summer months that the water is an exciting part of New York but it can be a dangerous place,” he said.
Jeff Ryan, 38, a stockbroker who was on a cruise tour, said he saw a fleet of boats and helicopters whizzing past the crash site.
“You can’t see the boat, it’s already down there,” he said.
He said the operator of his tour boat did not mention the news of the boat capsizing and was unable to stop operations and assist in the rescue.
“They continued us on our tour, they didn’t say the boys were missing one, watch out,” he said. “The guide said we were going around this mess but there were 200 people on the boat who could tell if someone was struggling in the water.”
Ted Fields, 49, chief executive officer of Big City Tourism, who has worked in the Hudson River ferry tourism industry for more than seven years, said that Hudson River deaths were not uncommon, recalling one accident. Fatal jet ski near Battery Park in May.
“Listen, the water boils,” he said. “Hudson is very rough and very deep water.
“Between jet skis and kayaks, sailboats, lots of smaller ships, they’re merging into these larger vessels. It’s dangerous if you don’t respect the waters.”
