Federal transportation officers have launched an investigation into why a Mexican navy tall ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge in a collision that snapped the vessel’s three masts, killed two crew members and left some sailors dangling from harnesses excessive within the air.
The ship generally known as the Cuauhtémoc was visiting New York on a world goodwill tour when the accident occurred Saturday night. The vessel might be seen in a number of eyewitness movies touring swiftly in reverse towards the bridge close to the Brooklyn aspect of the East River. Then its three masts struck the bridge and snapped, one after the other, because the ship stored transferring.
It was unclear what prompted the ship to veer astray. The Nationwide Transportation Security Board introduced that it was sending a group to research. Investigators had been anticipated to reach Sunday afternoon.
New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams stated the 142-year-old bridge escaped main injury, however at the very least 19 individuals aboard the ship wanted medical remedy.
Two of the 4 individuals who suffered critical accidents later died, Adams introduced on social media.
United States Coast Guardsmen arrive at Pier 35, Sunday, Could 18, 2025 in New York, the place the Cuauhtémoc, a masted Mexican Navy coaching ship that collided with the Brooklyn Bridge the night time earlier than, sits docked. (AP Picture/Yuki Iwamura)
Eyewitness movies of bridge crash
Movies confirmed heavy visitors on the span on the time of the 8:20 p.m. collision. Nobody on the bridge was damage.
The vessel, which was flying an enormous Mexican flag and had 277 individuals aboard, then drifted right into a pier on the riverbank as onlookers scrambled away.
Sailors might be seen aloft within the rigging on the broken masts however, remarkably, nobody fell into the water, officers stated.
Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz advised The Related Press they had been sitting outdoors to look at the sundown after they noticed the vessel strike the bridge.
“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,” Katz stated.
19 individuals had been injured with a Mexican naval vessel collided with the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night with 277 individuals onboard, based on New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams.
Simply earlier than the collision, Nick Corso took his cellphone out to seize the backdrop of the ship and the bridge in opposition to a sundown, As an alternative, he heard what sounded just like the loud snapping of a “huge twig.” A number of extra snaps adopted.
Folks in his neighborhood started working and “pandemonium” erupted aboard the ship, he stated. He later noticed a handful of individuals dangling from a mast.
“I didn’t know what to think, I was like, is this a movie?” he stated.
Mexico’s response
The Mexican navy stated in a put up on the social platform X that the Cuauhtémoc was a coaching vessel. It stated a complete of twenty-two individuals had been injured.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum lamented the lack of the 2 crew members.
“Our solidarity and support go out to their families,” Sheinbaum stated on X.
Mexico’s naval secretary, Adm. Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, stated in a press release Sunday that the navy was involved with the households of victims and vowed to conduct a clear investigation. He thanked the primary responders in New York.
Getty
Getty
The Mexican naval vessel, the Cuauhtémoc, crashes into the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, US, on Saturday, Could 17, 2025. A 270-foot vessel carrying 277 individuals scraped the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, sending some passengers into the East River and leaving others injured. Photographer: Myles Miller/Bloomberg through Getty Pictures
The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a virtually 1,600-foot essential span supported by two masonry towers. Greater than 100,000 automobiles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross day-after-day, based on town’s transportation division. Its walkway is a serious vacationer attraction.
Visitors was halted after the collision however was allowed to renew after an inspection, metropolis officers stated.
New York Police Division Particular Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles stated the ship had simply left a Manhattan pier and was supposed to go out to sea, not towards the bridge.
He stated an preliminary report was that the ship misplaced energy because of a mechanical drawback, although officers cautioned that the data was preliminary. Movies present a tugboat was near the Cuauhtemoc on the time of the crash.
As midnight approached, the damaged boat was moved slowly up the East River, going beneath and previous the Manhattan Bridge, aided by a collection of tugboats, earlier than docking at a pier. Onlookers continued to assemble on the waterfront to look at the spectacle.
Annually the Cuauhtémoc units out on the finish of lessons on the naval navy college to complete cadets’ coaching. This yr it left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on April 6, the navy stated.
It arrived Could 13 in New York Metropolis, the place guests had been welcome for a number of days, the Mexican consulate stated. The ship was scheduled to go to 22 ports in 15 nations over 254 days, 170 of them at sea.
The Cuauhtémoc sailed for the primary time in 1982. It’s virtually 300 ft lengthy and 40 ft broad. The vessel’s essential mast has a top of 160 ft, based on Mexican navy and authorities officers.
