Liquor Cruise Goes Awry

A boat cruise turned disastrous over the weekend as a 35-foot vessel caught fire off the Bronx coast. The captain, Joshua Brito, faces charges for driving under the influence but has since been released.

Brito claimed he had “one beer” before the incident, but that didn’t stop the charges from piling up following Saturday night’s event, as noted in court documents.

When officers arrived around 8 PM, they found Brito exhibiting signs of intoxication, including “watery eyes” and the strong scent of alcohol on his breath.

According to the complaint, he confessed to having had issues with the boat in the days leading up to the fire. He reportedly said, “I took up the group at the World Fair… I cut off the generator.”

Following his arrest after the explosion near Hart Island, Brito pleaded guilty to operating the boat while under the influence.

The blaze damaged multiple boats tied nearby and resulted in injuries to 23 passengers. Fortunately, those aboard managed to swim to Hart Island and were later taken to City Island by the Coast Guard.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and it remains uncertain if the generator issue could have started it. Tests indicated that Brito’s blood alcohol level was .05 at Jacobi Hospital after the incident.