Twelve passengers were on board the boat when it capsized and one was seriously injured while nine suffered minor injuries, a police official said in an email. It was unclear what caused the boat to capsize. A 48-year-old woman died along with the 7-year-old, according to Detective Arthur Chui of the Police Department. Mayor Eric Adams was at the scene near West 38th Street as buses, ambulances and fire trucks clogged nearby streets. Manhattan South Assistant Chief James McCarthy said at a news conference that the overturned boat “was chartered by family and friends and belonged to a person who was actually on a jet ski following the boat.” Inspector Anthony Russo of the Coast Guard said a combination of factors, including “a lot of commercial, recreational traffic,” may have contributed to the boat’s capsize. “We had the current, the wind, so you could have wakes coming from different directions, waves coming from different directions,” he said. “It takes some skill to operate on the Hudson River, so it could have contributed.” Mayor Adams warned of summer water accidents. “It’s a stark reminder to us as we go through the summer months, the water is an enjoyable part of New York, but it can be a dangerous place,” he said. Jeff Ryan, 38, a stock trader who was on a cruise tour, said he saw a swarm of boats and helicopters buzzing over the side of the crash. “You couldn’t see the boat, it was already down,” he said. He said his cruise ship’s agent had not reported news of the capsize and failed to stop operations and assist in the rescue. “They kept us on our tour, they didn’t say guys there’s one person missing, watch out,” he said. “The tour guide said we were going to tour this mess, but there were 200 people on the boat who could see if anyone was racing in the water.” Ted Fields, 49, CEO of Big City Tourism, who has worked in the Hudson River ferry industry for more than seven years, said deaths on the Hudson River were not uncommon, recalling a fatal jet ski accident near the Battery Park City. in May. “Listen, troubled waters,” he said. “The Hudson is very rough water and very deep. “Between the jet skis and the kayaks, the sailboats, a lot of smaller boats, mixed in with these bigger boats. It’s dangerous if you don’t respect the waters.”
