Boat Captain Arrested After Fire Injures 22 Off Bronx

A boat captain was taken into custody after an incident over the weekend that resulted in injuries to more than 20 individuals near City Island in the Bronx.

The captain, identified as 33-year-old Joshua Brito, faces charges of operating the vessel while drunk and recklessly endangering passengers. This occurred around 8 p.m. on Saturday close to Hart Island’s eastern edge.

The boat had 22 people on board, and a number of them sustained injuries—some serious.

Fire and Rescue Details

According to reports, Marine 4, a vessel from the New York City Fire Department, was conducting regular patrols in the Long Island Sound when the fire erupted. The unit managed to rescue three individuals from the water, while the remaining 19 swam to the Hart Island shoreline. They were later assisted by Coast Guard, Police, and Fire Department units and transported for medical evaluations to hospitals on City Island.

New York City Fire Department Assistant Mike Myers mentioned that Marine 4 communicated with Bronx dispatch to respond to reports of a boat fire and multiple persons in distress. The swift action helped facilitate the rescue of those in the water.

Interestingly, Myers noted that the boat had to be adequately sized to accommodate so many passengers. He mentioned that Marine 4 had observed them earlier in the evening, noting the high number of individuals aboard.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire. There’s a lot to dig into, and hopefully, we’ll learn more about it soon.