HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — Team members from Il Punto Ristorante in Midtown and Marco LaGaurdia Hotel in Flushing have teamed up to create a fundraiser to support their colleague Andres Garcia, whose life changed forever on Saturday when a boat capsized near Liberty Island, killing his wife and 5-month-old daughter.
The 22-foot vessel overturned at about 10:25 p.m. Saturday, near Liberty Island, sending all 14 people aboard into the water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and NYPD.
Garcia was on the boat, according to the GoFundMe. No other deaths were reported.
"While trying to process the unimaginable loss of Sara and baby Antonella, Andres must now find the strength to move forward and be there for their 6-year-old son, Salvador, who has also suffered a heartbreaking loss," his coworkers wrote on GoFundMe.
The GoFundMe has raised more than $41,000 so far, from more than 600 donations.
"No amount of money can replace Sara or Antonella. But together, we can give Andres some breathing room to grieve, take care of their son, Salvador, and begin facing a future that changed in an instant," his colleagues wrote.
Manuel Hernandez, 46, of New York, was arrested at about 2:25 a.m. Sunday, in connection with the incident, and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, according to the NYPD.
The Coast Guard said investigators are also determining whether the vessel was being operated as an illegal charter and are coordinating that investigation with the NYPD.
For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com. With reporting by Amie Schaenzer, Patch Staff.
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