Mexican Navy ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge killing two

by Mick the Ram

A ship owned by the Mexican Navy has dramatically crashed into the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, resulting in the deaths of two people onboard and injuring a further 19, of which two are reported to be in critical condition.

The Cuauhtémoc is a training vessel and was on a promotional tour with 277 people on board, when it apparently suffered a “mechanical issue” and lost all power, just as its captain was conducting a manoeuvre on Saturday evening (17 May), which forced it to head for the bridge abutment on the Brooklyn side of the East River.

The New York Coast Guard said the Cuauhtémoc lost all three of its masts in the collision, but could confirm that all personnel on the ship had been accounted for and nobody had fallen in the water.

The vessel, which measures 297 feet long (91m) and 40 feet (12m) wide, had a mast height of 158 ft (48.2m), whilst the bridge has a 135ft clearance at its centre. 

The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a nearly 1,600-foot (490 metres) main span that is supported by two masonry towers. More than 100,000 vehicles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross every day, with its walkway being one of Manhattan’s major tourist attraction.

It is understood that the bridge itself did not suffer any major damage and has reopened after a preliminary inspection.

Footage of the startling incident shows the ship’s towering masts clip the bridge as it passed under the structure. Three of them can be seen snapping and partially collapsing after they brush underneath and distressing images show crew members, who were standing on the masts at the time they snapped, falling to the deck. 

There was heavy traffic on the span of the bridge at the time of the collision and after the terrible crash, the Cuauhtémoc – flying a giant green, white and red Mexican flag – drifted toward the edge of the river.

Most onlookers fled from the water’s edge, but some in the crowd can be seen videoing the incident not realising the seriousness of the situation, or that there had been loss of life.

Brooklyn resident Nick Corso, who witnessed the accident, said the area erupted in panic. There was “lots of screaming, some sailors hanging from the masts.”

Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz were sitting outside to watch the sunset when they saw the vessel strike the bridge and one of its masts snap. “We saw someone dangling, and I couldn’t tell if it was just blurry or my eyes, and we were able to zoom in on our phone and there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like 15 minutes, before they were able to rescue them,” Ms Katz said.

Another witness, Kelvin Flores, told how he was at work when he saw the crash. “Just seeing the actual damage was insane; people carrying stretchers… they were trying to get the injured out,” he said.

The Cuauhtémoc was towed from the scene after the crash and the Mexican Navy took to the social platform X to report the incident and confirm that the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.

Continuing in Spanish, they said: “The secretary of the navy renews its commitment to the safety of personnel, transparency in its operations and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Armada.” 

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members in the accident.

Each year the ship, which first sailed back in 1982, sets sail at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training. They were to be away for a total of 254 days – 170 at sea and 84 in port.

This year it left the Mexican port of Acapulco on the Pacific coast on 6 April, scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 nations, including Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; and New York, with its final destination intended to be Reykjavik in Iceland.