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Manhattan boat tragedy: Boy, 7, among 2 dead as boat capsizes in Hudson River

A dozen passengers were onboard when the boat overturned, killing two people, including a 7-year-old boy and a 48-year-old woman

A 27-foot boat capsized in the Hudson River on Tuesday, July 12, north of Pier 79 in Midtown Manhattan, police officials have confirmed. A dozen passengers were onboard when the boat overturned, killing two people, including a 7-year-old boy and a 48-year-old woman. One passenger was seriously injured and nine sustained minor injuries. 

What exactly caused the boat to capsize is unclear. The tragedy took place near an NY Waterway terminal, and two ferries came to the passengers' rescue. "This afternoon at approximately 3pm, NY Waterway responded to an emergency when a private boat overturned in the Hudson River, just north of the Pier 79 Midtown ferry terminal. Two NY Waterway ferries, the Garden State and the John Stevens, arrived on the scene and their crews rescued 9 passengers from the private boat," NY Waterway said in a statement to News 4 New York.

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One of the two people who died was taken to Roosevelt Hospital and the other was rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital, both in critical condition. They eventually succumbed to their injuries. Buses, ambulances and fire trucks were seen on nearby streets. Mayor Eric Adams was also present on the scene near West 38th Street. Warning of accidents on water in summertime, Mayor Adams reportedly said, "It’s a clear reminder to us as we move through the summer months, water is an enjoyable part of New York but it can be a dangerous place." 

In a press briefing, Assistant Chief James McCarthy of Manhattan South said the boat “was chartered by a family and friends and it was owned by an individual who was actually on a Jet Ski following the boat.” According to Inspector Anthony Russo of the Harbor Unit, the boat may have capsized due to a mix of factors, including “a lot of commercial, recreational traffic", according to The New York Times. “We had the current, the wind, so you could have wakes approaching from different directions, waves from different directions,” he said. “It takes some skill to operate in the Hudson River, so it could’ve been a contributing factor."

An equities trader who had been on a cruise tour said that he saw a swarm of boats and helicopters on the site of the tragedy. "You couldn’t see the boat, it was already under,” Jeff Ryan, 38, said. His tour boat operator did not mention that the boat had capsized, he said, and did not stop to help. “They continued us on our tour, they didn’t say guys there’s a person missing, keep an eye out,” he said. “The tour guide said we’re going around this mess but there were 200 people in the boat who could’ve seen if someone was struggling in the water.”

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Ted Fields, chief operating officer of Big City Tourism, said that deaths in Hudson River was not rare. “Listen, choppy waters,” Fields, who has worked in the Hudson River ferry tourism industry for more than seven years, said. “The Hudson is very rough waters and very deep." He added, "Between the Jet Skis and the kayaks, the sail boats, a lot of smaller vessels, they’re mixing in with these larger vessels. It’s dangerous if you’re not respecting the waters.”