A boat operator has been arrested and charged with reckless endangerment after his vessel capsized near the Statue of Liberty on Saturday night, leading to the deaths of a woman aged 27 and her five-month-old daughter. The incident occurred in New York Harbor, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation involving multiple emergency services agencies. Twelve individuals were rescued from the water before police arrived, according to the US Coast Guard (USCG). Following the rescue efforts, which included two Coast Guard boats, four fire department boats, two police boats, and a police helicopter, the bodies of the two deceased victims were recovered by New York police divers. The identities of the passengers and the specific cause of the accident remain undisclosed. Survivors are reported to be in stable condition. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the boat's operator, a 46-year-old Manhattan resident, facing 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Additionally, Coast Guard investigators are examining whether the boat was illegally chartered. An illegal charter refers to any passenger vessel operation that lacks the necessary credentials, safety equipment, and certificate of inspection. Officials expressed gratitude for the swift actions of partner agencies and a Good Samaritan vessel that assisted in rescuing survivors from the water.