Terrified witnesses describe ‘scary' moment Mexican navy tall ship crashed into Brooklyn Bridge, injuring 19: ‘A lot of people were crying'
'We were celebrating and we were saying goodbye and singing,' said Ismari Romero, 43, who witnessed the terrifying incident from Pier 17 with her sister and other Mexicans who wanted to welcome the ship to the Big Apple and 'make them feel like home.'
'We were all joyful, and they departed. And when they reached the Brooklyn Bridge, I believe they hit the bridge and the top collapsed. We were very scared. A lot of people were screaming, a lot of people were crying. They're like, 'How is this happening? How is this possible?''
Advertisement
4 The Mexican Navy tall ship sits in the East River after crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17, 2025.
Nelson Slinkard via Storyful
4 Injured crew and passengers are transported after being rescued off the ship on May 17, 2025.
James Keivom
The colossal Cuauhtémoc – manned by a crew of 277 largely made up of cadets – lost power, drifted in reverse and slammed its towering masts into the roadbed around 8:30 p.m. Officials said 19 were injured, four seriously.
Advertisement
Two sailors were on top of one of the 147-foot masts when it struck the bridge – which has a max clearance of 135 feet.
Matt Tibbitts was on the ferry heading from Dumbo to Williamsburg with friends when he was struck with the horrifying thought that the vessel wasn't going to clear the bridge.
'The people around us were kind of like, 'oh, I think that's too tall,' and then you turn and immediately just see it snap,' he said.
4 An NYPD boat pulls up on the damaged boat after the crash.
Getty Images
Advertisement
4 NYPD personnel work to rescue crew members from the boat.
William Miller
'It's kind of surreal to see, a little scary for everyone involved. Luckily we were on the ferry a couple hundred feet ahead, so we weren't concerned for our safety but we were concerned for the people we could see. You saw some people taking some big falls off those masts and I'm sure that's a scary experience for them and we wanted to make sure they're ok,' he continued.
'It could've been a lot worse. It's a scary thing to witness that close.'
Officials said 19 people were injured – four critically – including crew members.
Advertisement
'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 chilling crash at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
'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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
16 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Separated by a border for decades, parents and children are reunited at last
José Antonio Rodríguez held a bouquet of flowers in his trembling hands. It had been nearly a quarter of a century since he had left his family behind in Mexico to seek work in California. In all those years, he hadn't seen his parents once. They kept in touch as best they could, but letters took months to cross the border, and his father never was one for phone calls. Visits were impossible: José was undocumented, and his parents lacked visas to come to the U.S. Now, after years of separation, they were about to be reunited. And José's stomach was in knots. He had been a young man of 20 when he left home, skinny and full of ambition. Now he was 44, thicker around the middle, his hair thinning at the temples. Would his parents recognize him? Would he recognize them? What would they think of his life? José had spent weeks preparing for this moment, cleaning his trailer in the Inland Empire from top to bottom and clearing the weeds from his yard. He bought new pillows to set on his bed, which he would give to his parents, taking the couch. Finally, the moment was almost here. Officials in Mexico's Zacatecas state had helped his mother and father apply for documents that allow Mexican citizens to enter the U.S. for temporary visits as part of a novel program that brings elderly parents of undocumented workers to the United States. Many others had their visa applications rejected, but theirs were approved. They had packed their suitcases to the brim with local sweets and traveled 24 hours by bus along with four other parents of U.S. immigrants. Any minute now, they would be pulling up at the East Los Angeles event hall where José waited along with other immigrants who hadn't seen their families in decades. José, who wore a gray polo shirt and new jeans, thought about all the time that had passed. The lonely nights during Christmas season, when he longed for the taste of his mother's cooking. All the times he could have used his father's advice. His plan had been to stay in the U.S. a few years, save up some money and return home to begin his life. But life doesn't wait. Before he knew it, decades had passed and José had built community and a career in carpentry in California. He sent tens of thousands of dollars to Mexico: to fund improvements on his parents' house, to buy machines for the family butcher shop. He sent his contractor brother money to build a two-bedroom house where José hopes to retire one day. His mother, who likes talking on the phone, kept him informed on all the doings in town. The construction of a new bridge. The marriages, births, deaths and divorces. The creep of violence as drug cartels brought their wars to Zacatecas. And then one day, a near-tragedy. José's father, jovial, strong, always cracking jokes, landed in the hospital with a heart that doctors said was failing. He languished there six months on the brink of death. But he lived. And when he got out, he declared that he wanted to see his eldest son. A full third of people born in Zacatecas live in the U.S. Migration is so common, the state has an agency tasked with attending to the needs of Zacatecanos living abroad. It has been helping elderly Mexicans get visas to visit family north of the border for years. The state tried to get some 25 people visas this year. But the United States, now led by a president who has vilified immigrants, approved only six. José had a childhood friend, Horacio Zapata, who also migrated to the U.S. and who hasn't seen his father in 30 years. Horacio's father also applied for a visa, but he didn't make the cut. Horacio was crestfallen. A few years back, his mother died in Mexico. He had spent his life working to help get her out of poverty, and then never had a chance to say goodbye. He often thought about what he would give to share one last hug with her. Everything. He would give everything. He and his wife had come with José to offer moral support. He put his arm around his friend, whose voice shook with nerves. East L.A. was normally bustling, filled with vendors hawking fruit, flowers and tacos. But on this hot August afternoon, as a car pulled up outside the event hall to deposit José's parents and the other elderly travelers, the streets were eerily quiet. Since federal agents had descended on California, apprehending gardeners, day laborers and car wash workers en masse, residents in immigrant-heavy pockets like this one had mostly stayed inside. The thought crossed José's mind: What if immigration agents raided the reunion event? But there was no way he was going to miss it. Suddenly, the director of the Federation of Zacatecas Hometown Assns. of Southern California, which was hosting the reunion, asked José to rise. Slowly, his parents walked in. Of course they recognized one another. His first thought: How small they both seemed. José gathered his mother in an embrace. He handed her the flowers. And then he gripped his father tightly. This is a miracle, his father whispered. He'd asked the Virgin for this. His father, whose heart condition persists, was fatigued from the long journey. They all took seats. His father put his head down on the table and sobbed. José stared at the ground, sniffling, pulling up his shirt to wipe away tears. A mariachi singer performed a few songs, too loudly. Plates of food appeared. José and his parents picked at it, mostly in silence. At the next table, José Manuel Arellano Cardona, 70, addressed his middle-aged son as muchachito — little boy. In the coming days, José and his parents would relax into one another's company, go shopping, attend church. Most evenings, they would stay up past midnight talking. Eventually, the parents would head back to Zacatecas because of the limit on their visas. But for now, they were together, and eager to see José's home. He took them by the arms as he guided them out into the California sun.
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Buzz Feed
20 Kitchen Products For Bad Cooks
A meat thermometer for anyone tired of butchering their chicken to check for pink spots or slicing into steak so many times the juices run out, leaving it bone dry. This gives you an instant temperature reading, so you don't accidentally overcook your rare steak to medium while waiting for a slow thermometer to catch up. It also comes with an easy-to-read chart that shows the safe internal temperatures for different meats— so you can have a yummy (salmonella-free) BBQ! A rotary grater if you've had way too many close calls trying to grate blocks of cheese for macaroni or slice thin veggies for ratatouille. This comes with three different attachments to grate, shred, or slice your favorite veggies, cheeses, or even chocolate with just a quick crank. The protective cover keeps your fingers away from the danger zone, so you can be allowed back in the kitchen without being a hazard. An Instant Pot, your holy grail if you can't keep up with recipes that require more than one pan *and* the oven — something will definitely end up burning. Your dinner possibilities are endless with the seven preset functions! You can make warm chicken soup, try out your grandma's beef stew, or if those are too hard, chicken and rice have never been simpler. A pair of salad cutting scissors if you aren't trusted with a knife in the kitchen but still want to help out. Just toss all your ingredients into a bowl and cut away (there's no way you can mess it up). A pair of herb scissors so even if your final dish isn't the most appealing, you can quickly cut up a little green onion razzle dazzle right on top. These scissors have five sharp blades to give you finely chopped herbs in seconds — say goodbye to struggling with the old cutting board and knife. A vampire garlic crusher if you love garlic but haven't quite figured out how to properly chop it without just smearing it all over your cutting board. His pointy little fangs turn a messy job into a quick and easy one. Just twist for garlic heaven without having smelly garlic hands for days. A corn stripper that lets you forget the terrifying strategy of standing a slippery ear of corn upright and attacking it with your questionable knife skills — it ends in disaster every time. This gets every last kernel without the mess of corn juice or the waste of leaving half the cob behind. The stainless steel blade just glides through, so you can have a fresh bowl of Mexican street corn in no time for your next BBQ! A trio pack of Dan-O's seasoning because salt and pepper alone is not enough!! You can choose from original, spicy, or chipotle, all made with low sodium, so there is no such thing as overseasoning. If you are scared of branching out or mixing your own concoction, Dan-O's makes it easy to cook up the tastiest fish, meat, or vegetables. You can finally say goodbye to boring, bland food! A snap-on strainer so your noodles can actually stay in the pot instead of going down your drain. No more struggling, trying to hold a strainer with one hand and pouring the heavy pot with the other. Just clip and pour, so easy! A vegetable chopper for when you've watched a thousand cooking videos and still don't know how to dice an onion. This comes with four attachments for different-sized dices and even a spiral blade if you're into the zoodle trend. Just place your veggie right in the chopper and give it a good SMACK! You'll have pico de gallo or stir-fry-ready veggies in seconds. Al Dente, your Italian bestie that'll watch your pasta while you figure out what went wrong with your pasta sauce. Just place him right in your pot and listen out for his little song so you can finish the job. It's truly an offer you can't refuse. Or a microwave pasta maker that makes cooking spaghetti even *simpler* (even boiling water can be hard sometimes). There's no need to dirty a bunch of dishes or throw your pasta at the wall to make sure it's perfectly al dente, this container has all you need to have a delicious pasta dinner with no mistakes. An electric peeler that'll save you time and your fingers when prepping a bunch of potatoes. Its hand-free design allows you to set and forget, while you practice your knife skills on your other ingredients. It also minimizes waste, so you are getting more of your produce instead of accidentally peeling it all away. A rapid egg cooker that'll give you hard-boiled, soft-boiled eggs, or even an omelette at the push of a button. If you're stressing over being assigned to bring deviled eggs for the potluck, this will cut your prep time in cut out the part of you accidentally under-boiling 100 eggs. Or an egg timer for when you like boiling the old fashion way but still haven't quite gotten the timing right for a ramen soft jelly egg. This little chick starts off red but slowly fades to white when your desired egg has reached the correct temperature. Now you can add "boiled eggs" to your cookbook, right next to instant ramen. A digital rice cooker — if you constantly serve burnt or soggy rice, you need this ASAP! It comes with various presets, labeled measurements, and tools to even steam veggies. Reviewers especially love the "keep warm" feature that keeps your rice fresh even hours after cooking. So if you get distracted trying to ensure your chicken isn't raw, you can have peace of mind that at least your rice will be edible. A cut-resistant glove if you have had far too many close calls using a mandolin, trying out that viral cucumber salad. These gloves are stronger than leather for extra protection, so now you can be trusted in the kitchen again. An EZ Bomb, a ball of seasoning to make the perfect pot of birria that even grandma would approve of. This dissolves right into your water, dispersing a burst of seasonings and flavors for an easy, no-mess dinner. You'll never go back to trying to follow a cookbook that just ends with you ordering takeout. A silicone spill stopper if you're tired of your pot boiling over and turning your stove into a disaster zone. Just place this right on top of your pot — no babysitting required. It will keep everything calm and contained so you can move on to the next step in your recipe without sprinting to check on your water. A veggie holder designed to help you get even slices without getting a slice of your finger in the process. This gives you a good grip, so you're not chasing your veggies as they slide all over your cutting board. This will definitely improve your knife skills so you can feel like a pro in no time.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
NYC cops battle flames to save residents, barking dog in Coney Island
Neither smoke nor flame stopped two NYPD officers from saving two men — and their labradoodle — from a raging fire in Coney Island this week, dramatic video obtained by The Post shows. The cops, part of the city's new quality of life teams, lived up to their job description — and then some — on Aug. 10, after they spotted a plume of smoke from West 36th Street near Canal Avenue while they were on patrol. A neighbor helped them locate the burning single family home and get into the backyard, where massive flames were engulfing a wall, the video shows. 5 Police Officer Andy Gao smashes a glass sliding door to get into the burning home. New York City Police Department 'We saw the fire raging at the back of the house,' Officer Andy Guo, of the 60th Precinct, told The Post. 'There was no time to wait for the fire department,' said Police Officer Chris De Sciora. 'We heard the dog barking. We had to get in by any means possible. The back wall was going up quickly.' The partners, who both grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from the Police Academy together in 2016, began trying to break down a rear glass sliding door to get inside, the video shows. 5 When the cops got to the Coney Island, home it was partially engulfed in flames. New York City Police Department The pup, a golden labradoodle named Sea Biscuit, was wildly barking until his owners woke up. 'Then we heard a gentleman yelling inside,' Guo, 34, said. 'We made a quick decision to just hop right in.' The video shows Guo shatter the glass with pole and vault inside first, followed by his partner. 5 The dog, Sea Biscuit, was barking steadily during the fire. 'I had to get access to the house,' Guo said. 'My mind and body was just on autopilot. I didn't think too hard, I just had to get in there.' Once they were inside, they found two men, who were inside sleeping, and led them out of the home. 'They didn't notice the house was on fire,' Guo said. 'I feel like if we had waited, who knows what could have happened?' 5 Officer Andy Guo jumped in first and suffered cuts on his arms. Obtained by the New York Post The dog was still barking when the cops got inside. 'We were able to corner the dog,' De Sciora said. 'There was really no time to think. Training and tactics took over.' The cause of the fire is under investigation. 5 Police Officer Chris De Sciora joined the NYPD because of the Sept. 11 atacks. Obtained by the New York Post The residents and the dog were unharmed. Both police officers were treated for smoke inhalation. Guo was also cut from the sliding glass door. 'I got some scratches on my arms,' Guo said. 'I didn't notice it was bleeding.' De Sciora, 31, who grew up in Bay Ridge, joined the NYPD because of the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks of 2001. 'Even though I was little at the time, I knew that after those tragic events I wanted to do whatever I could to help protect the city I love,' he said. Guo joined because of a desire to help the community where he grew up, he said. 'At the end of the day for me, I just wanted to help people,' said Guo, who grew up in Canarsie. 'I've always been a Brooklkyn boy. I wanted to give back.'
