Crew members were hanging onto the rigging of the Mexican Navy tall ship that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night, video footage shows.
A tragic incident occurred on Saturday night when the Cuauhtémoc ship collided with a bridge, resulting in the deaths of two sailors and injuries to nearly 20 others. Fortunately, all 277 individuals on board the ship remained on the vessel and did not fall into the water.
According to an NYPD official cited by WCBS, the injuries sustained were all within the ship itself. The ship, reportedly on its way to Iceland, was disembarking when the collision occurred, causing damage to the ship’s three masts, as seen in video footage from the Brooklyn side of the East River.
Preliminary reports suggest that a mechanical issue may have led to the ship veering off course and striking the bridge. However, a thorough investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the tragic accident.
Nobody fell into the water, officials said. (Instagram via @Didyouknowsam, X via @sammysparks)
People around Corso began running and “pandemonium” ensued aboard the ship, he said. He later noticed a handful of people dangling from a mast.
“I didn’t know what to think, I was like, is this a movie?” he said.
The bridge did not sustain any damage from the collision.
“We are praying for everyone on board and their families and are grateful to our first responders who quickly jumped into action, ensuring this accident wasn’t much worse,” Adams said at a news conference on Saturday night.
Two sailors were killed and nearly 20 others were injured when the Cuauhtémoc ship struck the bridge. (Instagram via @Didyouknowsam, X via @sammysparks)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered “solidarity and support” to the families of the deceased crew members after the crash.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc Training Ship, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our sympathy and support go out to their families,” she wrote Saturday night on on X.
The Cuauhtémoc was built in Bilbao, Spain, in 1981 and has won the Tall Ships’ Races twice, according to Sail Training International. The ship was in New York City as part of a promotion for an event next year that celebrates America’s 250th birthday.
