Two people died and 17 others were injured, including two in critical condition, after a massive Mexican navy ship smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday (May 17) night, fire officials and sources confirmed to the New York Post.
The Cuauhtémoc, a vessel carrying 277 crew members on a goodwill visit to New York, was reported to have lost power while sailing to Iceland and collided into the road deck of the bridge at around 8:30 p.m. local time, according to Mayor Eric Adams, as well as footage of the crash shared online. The ship’s 147-foot mast was sheared off in the shocking footage also showing crew members dangling from the sails and loud booms after the collision with the bridge, which had a max clearance of 135 feet.
“The boat was coming under the bridge, and there were sailors on top of the boat, the sails hit the bridge and then people were falling off of the boat sails,” said Elijah West, who witnessed the accident from Brooklyn Bridge Park, via the New York Post. “It was crazy. We were standing under the bridge and we all started running. Then I saw people hanging from the sails. Police boats came around fast — about five minutes later. And then police guided the boat to the (Manhattan) bridge and started the rescue. It was a shock.”
Numerous witnesses captured the accident with cameras from various angles as they were already watching the ship’s departure.
“We were scared — a lot of people were screaming, a lot of people were crying,” said Ismari Romero, who witnessed the crash with his sister from Pier 17. “We were celebrating and we were saying goodbye and singing. We were all joyful, and they departed. And then they reached the Brooklyn Bridge.”
First responders launched a search of the waters amid initial reports that crew members had fallen in, but later confirmed that no one had. Retired Navy Capt. Alfred S. McClaren described the accident as “inconceivable” to the New York Post.
“I’m dumbfounded,” McClaren said. “It could lose power and drift. So the question is just how fast were they going. But why didn’t they use a rudder one way or another? One of the first things I would have done is drop my anchor or anchors.”
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