Two men and four young girls were rescued Tuesday after their boat capsized near Ellis Island.
Police say the boat was 90% under water when rescuers got to the scene.
Kevin Suarez, a crewmember for Statue Cruises, was the first person to jump in.
He rescued a young girl who was trapped beneath the boat before first responders arrived.
The two adults, a 5-year-old, 9-year-old and 11-year-old twins, along with Suarez did not suffer any major injuries.
The NYPD harbor unit says it's always a great day when they can save someone.
"I just wanted to get the young child out," said Jeff Dinoia with the department's harbor unit. "The water was cold and I have two boys of my own, I see a little girl in the water. I just, I want to get her out."
"The girls were pretty stunned," said Dianna Balioni with the harbor unit. "They were all kind of out of breath. Everybody was in shock. Like Jeff said, he got a big hug and kiss and you could tell the adults were very grateful."
Officials believe engine failure caused the boat to take on too much water.