Captain charged after NYC boat explosion leaves 22 victims injured or swimming for their lives
A man was arrested after a boat exploded on the Long Island Sound in New York City, forcing more than 20 people to jump into the water.
Officials say three people were injured and 19 others were forced to swim for their lives from the blaze after it took over the ship.
The boat caught fire around 8:30pm on Saturday night while out on the Sound near City Island, in the Bronx, with first responders rushing to the scene.
Images shared on social media shows thick plumes of smoke billowing from the vessel.
Another clip shows the fire taking over the rear of the boat, with everyone onboard running for the front of the ship.
Three people were pulled from the waters while the remainder managed to make their way to a nearby island where they waited to be taken back to shore by the Coast Guard.
One person is in a critical condition, another serious and the third is stable, with the captain of the ship being charged with operating the vessel while intoxicated.
Joshua Brito, 33, of the Bronx was hit with a DWI and reckless endangerment in relation to the incident, the NYPD said.
Those injured onboard were all adults, with their ages ranging from 18 to 58, police said.
Sources have told The New York Post that the inferno was started due to an explosion on board, but officials have yet to identify an official cause.
One witness told the outlet: 'The only thing I saw was a bunch of smoke while walking down the block. It was very thick heavy black smoke.'
New York City Fire Department Assistant Chief Michael Meyers said in a statement: 'Marine 4 gave a verbal for a boat fire and multiple people in the water to the Bronx dispatcher.
'At that point, the Bronx dispatcher had land units respond to come into City Island and begin to accept patients.
'Marine 4 grabbed three people out of the water. At that point, they transported them to one of the docks that was close by, where Engine 70 was waiting and EMS was waiting as well to begin CPR on the victims.'
Meyers added: 'The other 19 folks swam to Hart Island. They were just off the east end of Hart Island, and then they were picked up by the NYPD Coast Guard and FDNY boats and transported back over to the docks at the Yacht Club on City Island.
'This just goes to show you what a coordinated effort happens between our marine units, our land units, and our EMS units to get here to help save lives, by responding in here, by communicating well, and by working with our City partners to help ensure that we protect the people of the City of New York.'
The Coast Guard identified the ship as being a 44ft powerboat with an enclosed cabin. Brito's arraignment was pending in Bronx Criminal Court on Sunday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
A runaway pet zebra has been captured in Tennessee
A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee and became an internet sensation in the process was captured Sunday, authorities said. Ed the Zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana community in central Tennessee, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office confirmed. The sheriff's office said aviation crews captured the zebra. 'Ed was airlifted and flown by helicopter back to a waiting animal trailer,' the sheriff's office said in a statement. Video posted by the sheriff's office shows Ed wrapped in a net with his head sticking out as he is carried by the helicopter to the trailer. Ed arrived in Christiana on May 30, the sheriff's office said. His owner reported him missing the next day. The zebra was spotted and filmed running along Interstate 24, forcing deputies to shut the roadway. But Ed escaped into a wooded area. There were several sightings posted to social media. Ed was filmed trotting through a neighborhood. The zebra quickly became the subject of internet memes. One fake posting showed Ed dining at a Waffle House, a southern staple. Others had him visiting other Tennessee cities or panhandling on the side of the road.
Reuters
38 minutes ago
- Reuters
National Guard deployed in Los Angeles amid protests against immigration raids
LOS ANGELES, June 8 (Reuters) - California National Guard arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday, deployed by President Donald Trump after two days of protests by hundreds of demonstrators against immigration raids carried out as part of Trump's hardline policy. About a dozen National Guard members were seen in video footage on Sunday morning lining up at a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, where detainees from immigration raids on Friday were taken, sparking protests that continued on Saturday. The complex is near Los Angeles City Hall, where another protest against the immigration raids is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. U.S. Northern Command confirmed National Guard troops had started deploying and that some were already on the ground. "These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform early on Sunday. California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused Trump of deploying the National Guard because he wants "a spectacle." Footage showed at least a half dozen military-style vehicles and riot shields on Sunday at the federal building where the Department of Homeland Security said about "1,000 rioters" had protested on Friday. Reuters could not verify the DHS account. On Saturday law enforcement faced off against a few hundred protesters in Paramount in southeast Los Angeles and then later on Saturday with about 100 people in downtown Los Angeles, according to Reuters witnesses. Federal law enforcement was seen firing gas canisters in Paramount and downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to try and disperse protesters. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 27 people on Saturday for failure to disperse from the downtown protest, police spokesperson Norma Eisenman said. She said she could not comment on whether LAPD used less lethal force. Less lethal force refers to crowd control tactics such as pepper balls. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested three people on Saturday on suspicion of assaulting an officer. Sheriff's deputies did use "less lethal force" in Paramount, spokesperson Deputy Brenda Serna said, but she could not specify which exact tactics were used. The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where census data suggests a significant part of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump's Republican White House, which has made an immigration crackdown a hallmark of his second term. Trump in a presidential memorandum on Saturday said he was deploying at least 2,000 National Guard personnel following what he described as "numerous incidents of violence and disorder" in response to the enforcement of federal immigration law, as well as "credible threats of continued violence." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also warned that the Pentagon was prepared to mobilize active-duty troops "if violence continues" in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert." "There is plenty of room for peaceful protest, but ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job. The National Guard, and Marines if need be, stand with ICE," Hegseth said in a social media post on Sunday, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democratic Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, whose California district includes Paramount, on Sunday criticized the president's decision to deploy National Guard troops, arguing that local law enforcement has adequate resources to respond. "We don't need the help. This is him escalating it, causing tensions to rise. It's only going to make things worse in a situation where people are already angry over immigration enforcement," Barragan told CNN's "State of the Union." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the National Guard would provide safety around buildings, to people engaged in peaceful protest and to law enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Los Angeles on Friday arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations. Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also included people legally residing in the country, some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Mass shooting at Ohio drag race leaves seven hospitalized
Seven teenagers were shot and hospitalized after gunfire erupted at an Ohio drag race overnight. The Cleveland Police received reports of drag racing just after midnight Sunday. 'While officers were en route, additional calls indicated that gunfire had occurred at the scene,' the department told When police arrived at the scene, they discovered that seven individuals had been shot. The victims include two 18-year-old males, three 18-year-old females, one 19-year-old male and one 19-year-old female. According to police, three of the victims were transported to the hospital by private vehicles, while the remaining four were transported by Cleveland EMS. 'Detectives responded immediately, initiating an investigation that included gathering evidence and reviewing surveillance video,' the department said. During the investigation, the Shaker Heights Police Department informed Cleveland officers that they had stopped a vehicle occupied by three individuals. 'Investigative leads confirmed that this vehicle and its occupants were present at the scene of the shooting,' the Cleveland Division of Police said. Officers recovered three firearms from the vehicle and the driver, identified as a 21-year-old male, was arrested for Improperly Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle. One of the vehicles used to transport two of the victims to the hospital, was towed for further investigation, at which time police discovered two additional firearms inside. 'All recovered evidence will be processed as part of the ongoing investigation,' the department said. The Cleveland Division of Police has asked anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact them as they continue to investigate.
