Two sailors are dead and 22 others injured after a Mexican Navy training vessel slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge late Saturday, a catastrophic collision that snapped the ship’s towering masts and triggered scenes of chaos on the East River.
The vessel—Cuauhtémoc, a 42-year-old, three-masted barque often called Mexico’s “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas”—had just departed Pier 17 for Iceland as part of a global goodwill tour when disaster struck, CNN reported. At approximately 8:20 p.m., the ship reportedly lost power and experienced a mechanical failure. Currents then drove the powerless vessel into a pillar of the Brooklyn Bridge, shearing its masts and leaving sailors dangling from harnesses in full view of horrified onlookers.
“It sounded like a massive twig snapping,” said Nick Corso, 23, who watched the scene unfold from shore.
A massive pirate ship just hit the Brooklyn Bridge pic.twitter.com/eWRvh8Ognn
— Corso (@Corso52) May 18, 2025
Cellphone video circulated online within minutes, capturing the moment the illuminated rigging crumpled beneath the weight of the collision. Witnesses described bedlam on deck—crew members shouting in Spanish, alarms wailing, and one sailor suspended midair for over 15 minutes before emergency crews could reach him.
NYPD Chief Wilson Aramboles said the ship was carrying 277 people at the time, according to The New York Times. Nineteen of the 22 injured required hospitalization, with four in serious condition. The ship was being assisted by a U.S. tugboat during departure but was unable to correct course after the failure. Officials quickly maneuvered the crippled Cuauhtémoc to a temporary berth between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges to prevent further danger.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum released a statement offering condolences to the victims’ families and pledged full cooperation with U.S. authorities. Mexico’s U.S. ambassador and consular staff were on-site overnight, coordinating support for injured personnel and initiating an internal naval review.
New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed condolences at a Sunday morning press conference, praising first responders who “quickly jumped into action, ensuring this accident wasn’t much worse.” He noted that while no structural damage was immediately reported to the 141-year-old Brooklyn Bridge, the event would prompt a reassessment of maritime safeguards around key infrastructure.
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.
Following our preliminary inspection, we can confirm that the bridge sustained no damage and is now open to…
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) May 18, 2025
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened a formal investigation, with early assessments pointing to equipment failure rather than human error. Still, the incident has reignited public concern about the vulnerability of aging ships navigating dense urban waterways.
Launched in 1982 and named for the last Aztec emperor, the Cuauhtémoc has long served as a symbol of Mexican diplomacy and naval pride. Its stately silhouette and ceremonial voyages have made it a frequent guest in harbors from Lisbon to Tokyo. But Saturday’s wreck now casts a long shadow over its legacy—and raises fresh questions about operational readiness in the face of mechanical breakdowns.
As cleanup and investigations continue, both U.S. and Mexican officials urged residents and boaters to avoid the crash area and await further updates.
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