2 men face federal charges in deadly capsizing of sightseeing boat in Hudson River
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Two men are facing federal charges in the fatal capsizing of a sightseeing boat in the Hudson River nearly two years ago.
Richard Cruz and Jamie Pinilla Gomez will be arraigned on Thursday.
Police say the men were operating a boat at a high rate of speed when it capsized, throwing 13 people overboard in July of 2022.
Officials say a 7-year-old boy and a 47-year-old woman died after getting trapped underneath the boat.
The victims who died were identified as 7-year-old Julian Vasquez, from Florida, and 47-year-old Lindelia Vasquez, from Colombia, who were part of a group of family members who got onto the jet boat named Stimulus Money in Elizabeth, New Jersey, for a trip on the Hudson River.
The 27-foot Yamaha vessel overturned near the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum for unknown reasons, although investigators suspect it got caught in the wake of a passing boat.
Prosecutors say the men were negligent and lacked the credentials and certifications to operate the boat.
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