Photo by Kai Pilger
Two individuals lost their lives and 19 others sustained injuries after a training vessel belonging to the Mexican Navy struck the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams reported on Sunday.
The incident occurred late Saturday evening when the ship, the Cuauhtemoc, attempted to pass beneath the iconic bridge. As it did so, all three of its towering masts were sheared off, crashing into the East River below. Spectators enjoying the mild spring night looked on in disbelief and horror as the accident unfolded.
“Out of the 277 individuals aboard the ship, 19 suffered injuries,” Adams confirmed, “with two in critical condition and two others who, tragically, succumbed to their injuries.” The Cuauhtemoc, adorned with draped festive lights and furled sails, had been making its departure from Manhattan when the mishap occurred.
Moments before the crash, hundreds had gathered to cheer and bid farewell to the majestic vessel, which had been docked at a pier in southern Manhattan since Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by the Mexican Navy, the collision claimed the lives of two crew members, while 22 others were reported injured—half of them in critical condition.
President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed her sorrow on X (formerly Twitter), writing that she was “deeply saddened” by the loss of the two naval personnel.
The ship reportedly lost power at approximately 8:20 p.m. local time (7:00 a.m. PKT Sunday), just as the captain was attempting to navigate it away from the pier. With no power, the ship veered into the bridge abutment on the Brooklyn side, according to New York Police Department Chief of Special Operations Wilson Aramboles, who spoke during a press briefing.
Several sailors were injured atop the masts during the crash, Aramboles noted. It remains unclear whether any of those individuals were among the fatalities.
“There was panic on the ship,” recounted Nick Corso, a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident who was standing near the water. Corso, who works in marketing for entertainment company VeeFriends, had been preparing to snap a photo but instead switched to recording video when he realized what was happening.
“There was a lot of screaming. Some sailors were hanging from the masts. It looked chaotic,” he recalled. “I didn’t see anyone fall into the water, but many people were up on top. People started running and screaming.”
Corso added that one person aboard the ship appeared to be waving to warn spectators to back away from the nearby walkway.
Despite initial fears, the Mexican Navy confirmed in its statement that no crew members had fallen into the river, and thus no water rescue operations were initiated.
At the time of the accident, the Cuauhtemoc was in the process of departing from New York, with its rigging adorned with flags and a massive Mexican flag trailing from its stern.
Just seconds after setting sail, the mood turned from celebratory to catastrophic.
“Suddenly, we saw the lights hit the bridge, the masts collided, and the sailors all fell down,” said Arturo Acatitla, a 37-year-old resident of New York, who witnessed the event.
While damage to the ship was confirmed, the Brooklyn Bridge itself appears to have emerged structurally sound. “Inspections are still ongoing, but at this time, there are no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge,” the New York Department of Transportation posted on X.
The bridge, a vital artery connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan, was temporarily closed for approximately 40 minutes following the crash but was later reopened.
Victims of the incident were transported to local hospitals, Mexican Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma Barragán confirmed during a press conference. Emergency vehicle sirens were heard echoing through the area.
Chief Aramboles of the NYPD said the Cuauhtemoc, a barque-style ship built in 1982 with a mast height of 48.2 meters (158 feet), had been en route to Iceland when the accident took place.
“With mariachi music, folk ballet, and an emotionally charged community, we had celebrated its arrival at Pier 17 in Manhattan,” the Mexican Embassy previously posted.
The Cuauhtemoc sustained damage in what was officially termed a “mishap” by the Mexican Navy, which released a statement affirming its commitment to crew safety, operational transparency, and the training of future naval officers.
Following the incident, the ship was moved to an area near the Manhattan Bridge, according to an AFP journalist on the scene.
Meanwhile, the New York Police Department advised the public via social media to steer clear of the area due to “heavy traffic” and a significant emergency response presence.
This accident marks the second fatal ship-bridge collision in the United States within just over a year. In March 2024, another vessel crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, resulting in its collapse and the deaths of six road workers.
