Mexican navy ship crashes near Brooklyn Bridge resulting in two deaths and severe damage

A Mexican training ship, Cuauhtémoc, rammed the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Saturday night, damaging the ship and killing two sailors on board. The 142-year-old Brooklyn Bridge, though battered, sustained minor damage. Sailors were stranded in the rigging high above the river, waiting to be rescued.

The collision occurred as the 277-crew vessel was reversing in the Brooklyn side of the East River. The three masts crunched against the bridge in harrowing video witnessed by the crowd before it floated to a dock in the area. Emergency responders rushed to the scene quickly, tending at least 19 injured crew members, while city officials temporarily shut traffic on the old bridge.

ALSO SEE: Lufthansa flight left without pilot for 10 minutes after midair medical emergency

Mexican navy ship collides near Brooklyn Bridge

A Mexican Navy sailing ship on a global goodwill cruise collided with New York's Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, snapping its three masts, killing two sailors, and leaving several other sailors dangling high over the water waiting to be rescued.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams reported that the 142-year-old bridge incurred minor damage, but at least 19 individuals aboard the ship required medical treatment.

Two of the four severely injured crew members later died, Adams wrote in an early Sunday social media update. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Witness videos captured the vessel, named the Cuauhtémoc, moving in reverse at a high speed towards the Brooklyn side of the East River. Its three masts struck the span of the bridge, breaking one by one as the ship moved forward. The bridge was filled with traffic at the 8:20 p.m. crash, but there were no bridge injuries reported.

The vessel, which was flying a giant Mexican flag and had 277 people aboard, then drifted into a pier on the riverbank as onlookers scrambled away. According to Associated Press, sailors could be seen aloft in the rigging on the damaged mast but, remarkably, no one fell into the water, officials said.

Traffic was halted after the collision but was allowed to resume after an inspection, city officials said.

The Mexican navy said in a post on the social platform X that the Cuauhtémoc was an academy training vessel. It said a total of 22 people injured, 19 whom needed medical treatment.

The reason the ship had gone off course was not certain. New York Police Department Special Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles said the ship had left a Manhattan pier and was supposed to be sailing out into the sea, not heading toward the bridge.
He said that the initial report was that the ship's pilot lost power due to a technical problem, but officials cautioned that the information was preliminary.

Video shows that there was a tugboat present when the accident happened.

Mexican President says she is “saddened” by the Cuauhtémoc vessel accident in New York

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent her condolences to the families of the two crew members killed in the Brooklyn Bridge accident on Saturday.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc Training Ship, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our sympathy and support go out to their families,” Sheinbaum said in a post on X early Sunday.

Sheinbaum said the Mexican Navy is supporting those injured in the incident, and that the Mexican ambassador to the United States and Mexican Consulate General were supporting the navy.

“We are monitoring the situation, and the Secretary of the Navy will continue to provide updates,” she added.

Every year, the Cuauhtémoc sets sail after the naval cadets have completed their training. This year, the vessel departed from Acapulco on April 6 and arrived in New York City on May 13, where it was open for several days. The vessel will have 22 ports of call in 15 countries in a 254-day cruise, spending 170 days at sea.