KUALA LUMPUR – A Mexican Navy sailing ship struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday evening, killing two crew members and injuring at least 20 others, including several seriously, during what was meant to be a ceremonial departure from New York City.
The training vessel Cuauhtémoc, which was in the city as part of a global goodwill tour, was making its way along the East River toward Iceland when its towering masts collided with the bridge at around 8:20pm.
Video footage showed the ship moving in reverse near the Brooklyn shore before its three masts broke on impact, sending debris onto the deck and leaving sailors dangling in the rigging.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the deaths of two sailors early Sunday, saying, “At least 19 people aboard the ship needed medical treatment,” and that two of the four seriously injured individuals had succumbed to their injuries.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as surreal.
Massive ship just hit the Brooklyn Bridge 😳 https://t.co/9pLKLvaOxl pic.twitter.com/n2BzhGAs4L
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) May 18, 2025
“We saw someone dangling, and I couldn’t tell if it was just blurry or my eyes… there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,” said Lily Katz, who witnessed the incident from the shore, told the Associated Press.
Another bystander, Flavio Moreira, said the ship appeared to be “coming closer and closer” before the collision. “As soon as the ship hit the bridge… we could see all those people really struggling to just like holding onto something.”
The vessel, which had 277 people on board and was flying a large Mexican flag, drifted into a nearby pier following the impact. Tugboats later assisted in moving the ship to Pier 36 so passengers could safely disembark.
Emergency response was swift, with over 100 fire and EMS personnel dispatched, according to the New York Fire Department. Divers were also deployed in the East River, though no one fell overboard.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered condolences to the families of the deceased, saying, “Our sympathy and support go out to their families.” She added that the Navy and Mexico’s diplomatic missions in the U.S. were providing assistance.
Investigations into the cause are ongoing. Preliminary reports suggested the ship may have lost power or suffered mechanical failure before the collision. – May 18, 2025