The operator of a 22-foot Bayliner speedboat that capsized in New York Harbor on Saturday night, leaving a mother and her 5-month-old daughter dead, is facing criminal charges as federal authorities investigate whether the vessel was operating as an illegal charter.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:25 p.m. near Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty. According to officials, 14 people were aboard when the powerboat overturned.

Twelve passengers were pulled from the water prior to police arrival. Eleven of those survivors were rescued by the crew of a nearby commercial tour vessel operated by Sea the City, who immediately rendered aid, contacted the U.S. Coast Guard, and helped transport the survivors to shore.

New York Police Department divers and emergency personnel located the two missing passengers, identified as 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, in the water. Both were rushed to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn in critical condition, where they were later pronounced dead. The remaining twelve passengers were reported to be in stable condition.

Police arrested the vessel’s operator, 46-year-old Manuel Hernandez of Manhattan, early Sunday morning. Hernandez has been charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment.

The U.S. Coast Guard, in coordination with the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the NYPD Harbor Unit, is investigating the cause of the capsizing. Investigators are actively looking into whether the trip was an uncredentialed passenger-for-hire operation lacking mandatory safety gear, inspections, and Coast Guard certification.