A Mexican navy sailing vessel collided with the iconic Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, killing two crew members and injuring at least 20 others in a chaotic scene that stunned onlookers and prompted emergency rescues. The Cuauhtemoc, a 297-foot-long training ship with 277 people aboard, was on a global goodwill tour when it struck the bridge, snapping its masts and leaving sailors dangling from broken rigging.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:20 p.m. as the ship was leaving a Manhattan pier. Eyewitness footage captured the moment the Cuauhtemoc’s towering masts struck the Brooklyn Bridge’s undercarriage, shattering them one by one. The vessel, flying a massive Mexican flag, drifted into a riverside pier after the crash. Emergency responders swarmed the scene, with helicopters and boats deployed for search and rescue.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that the Brooklyn Bridge sustained no major structural damage and reopened to traffic later that night. However, the human toll was devastating. Two sailors with critical injuries died hours later, while 19 others required medical attention. Some had to be rescued from as high as 160 feet above the deck, still strapped into their safety harnesses.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. Preliminary reports suggest the vessel lost power and went adrift. A tugboat was seen nearby at the time of impact, and officials noted that the Cuauhtemoc should have been heading out to sea, not toward the bridge.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed condolences, calling the loss “regrettable” and offering solidarity with the victims’ families.
The Cuauhtemoc, commissioned in 1982, serves as Mexico’s official naval training ship and was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 countries over the next 254 days. Its tour has now been cut short by tragedy in New York’s East River.
