Community mourns mom and baby killed in NYC boat tragedy, launches GoFundMe for grieving dad

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A Queens family is facing unimaginable grief after a mother and her 5-month-old daughter were killed when a boat capsized near Liberty Island over the weekend.

Sara Sanchez, 27, and her baby, Antonella, were among 14 people aboard the boat when it overturned near the Statue of Liberty around 10:30 pm Saturday, nearly three and a half hours into the tour. Sanchez's partner and Antonella's father, Andres Garcia, was also on the boat and survived.

Now, as Garcia mourns his partner and daughter, his colleagues and community are coming together to support him and his 5-year-old son, who was not on the boat.

Queens community rallies around Andres Garcia after boat tragedy

Garcia's colleagues at Il Punto Ristorante said he had taken Saturday off to celebrate a birthday on the harbor.

When the news broke, they immediately realized the tragedy involved someone they knew.

“So when I saw the articles, we knew what was happening. We knew,” Antonio Russo, the restaurant's general manager, said.

Garcia has since been discharged from the hospital. He and the other surviving passengers were rescued and are expected to recover, according to officials. 

But for Garcia, the physical recovery is only one part of what comes next.

He is now grieving the loss of his partner and his infant daughter while also caring for his young son, who was not on the boat.

“We’re just giving him all our prayers and we have our hands on him,” Garcia's colleague Santina Wiggins said. “Our hearts are with him and his family.”

Sara Sanchez and baby Antonella remembered by Queens community

Wiggins described Sanchez, Antonella and Garcia as an ordinary family simply trying to enjoy their lives.

“They were just a regular family, an American family, working hard and doing everything that they can,” she said.

The family outing turned tragic when the boat carrying the group overturned in the harbor.

Sanchez and Antonella died, while Garcia and the other passengers were brought to safety.

Boat operator faces charges as GoFundMe launches for grieving dad

The tragedy has also raised questions about how the boat was being operated.

Police charged the boat's driver, Manuel Hernandez, with 13 counts of reckless endangerment before the case was handed over to federal authorities.

As per the court records, Hernandez had allegedly not registered or obtained certification to operate a boat in the harbor with paying customers.

He is also accused of exceeding the vessel's maximum capacity.

Court documents further indicate that there was no infant life vest available on the boat.

As Garcia tries to deal with the devastating loss, his coworkers have taken another step to help the family.

They established a GoFundMe to raise money for Garcia and his 5-year-old son, who is set to celebrate his birthday on Thursday.