Investigators: Owner or operator of boat that capsized in deadly Hudson River accident could face charges
NEW YORK -- Questions about possible safety failures are being raised after a boat capsized in the Hudson River on Tuesday, killing a New Jersey woman and a 7-year-old boy visiting from out of town.
Three people remained in the hospital Wednesday night following the deadly accident.
A total of 13 people were on the boat, which seats 12.
As CBS2's Alice Gainer reports, the owner of the boat purchased it two months ago and was set to pick up the title Wednesday, according to the man who sold it to him.
Video from inside a Colombian bakery in Elizabeth, New Jersey, shows people getting food to bring on the boat Tuesday morning, including 7-year-old Julian Vasquez, who died after police sources say his life vest got caught on debris under the overturned vessel, preventing him from floating to the surface.
Forty-seven-year-old Lindelia Vasquez was also trapped underneath and died. Vasquez, who worked at a restaurant in Elizabeth, was surprising visiting family from Colombia with the boat trip.
"They had good surprise to go to the river, and they buy everything here," said Albiro Orozco, owner of the bakery.
"She was a great woman that helped many people," neighbor Hector Alvarez said in Spanish.
Alvarez says Vasquez had moved to the United States from Colombia to pursue her dreams.
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The Yamaha AR240 jetboat is 24 feet and seats 12. Thirteen people, police say, were on the boat that launched from Carteret, New Jersey.
Its owner was on a Jet Ski, seen in video cruising alongside the boat in the choppy waters of the Hudson. There's a spray of water and the boat overturns.
The boat was purchased two months ago through a Facebook listing.
The 24-year-old man at the wheel of the boat Tuesday is currently hospitalized. Two women, ages 32 and 51, also remain hospitalized.
Police say the boat was chartered. Beyond that, no other details have been given.
"The currents are very strong, the wind is not consistent, so you really have to know what you're doing if you're trying to sail," said Eric Puleio, owner of Narwhal Yacht Charters.
He says anyone chartering a boat must make sure the captain is properly licensed and trained.
"Most people in my industry, we're limited to taking six passengers at a time. You need a certificate of inspection from the Coast Guard to take seven-plus passengers for-hire," he said.
The investigation is ongoing, but police say the boat's owner and the man behind the wheel could both face criminal charges.
