Brooklyn Bridge hit by Mexican navy training ship, 2 dead, 19 injured, officials say
In a news conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said 277 were on board the vessel sailing the East River when it collided with the bridge just before 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Adams said at least 19 people were hurt and four suffered serious injuries. He later announced two of them died.
"No one fell into the water, they were all hurt inside the ship," NYPD Special Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles said. "...The ship, from what I was informed by the supervisors of the ship, it was disembarking and going to Iceland."
The New York City Department of Transportation reported in a post to social media that bridge inspectors had so far found "no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge."
Ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
A masted Mexican Navy training ship, the Cuauhtémoc, sits stranded after colliding with the Brooklyn Bridge after, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York.
Kyle Viterbo / AP
The Mexican navy said in a post on social media that the Cuauhtemoc was damaged during a sailing maneuver.
Adams said in a social media post the Cuauhtemoc lost power before it crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.
Videos posted online showed the ship apparently drifting backward before all three masts hit the bridge and broke apart.
Some sailors could be seen dangling by wires from near of the top of the ship after it struck the bridge. The main mast of the 297-foot long ship is 160 feet tall.
"I guess it was, the pilot that is assigned to navigate, you know, the boat out of the water, I believe there was some mechanical issues that probably caused the ship to hit the water," Aramboles said.
Pedestrians walking along Brooklyn Bridge Park look on as a masted Mexican Navy training ship sits stranded near the Manhattan Bridge after colliding with the Brooklyn Bridge, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York. (Nick Corso via AP)
Nick Corso / AP
Witnesses reported hearing a loud crunch followed by screams.
"All of the sudden we heard tons of screaming coming from this massive crowd that was here," Torrey Leonard said. "Our hearts were skipping a beat because it was just horrible, how it sounded. We heard like this wood crunch. We then stood up from dinner right here and looked at the bridge and we saw what everybody's already seen happen. Which was just horrifying."
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexican ambassador to the U.S., told reporters the ship has been sailing for about 20 years and was headed from Cozumel, Mexico, to Iceland. The ship arrived in New York City on May 13.
Police urged people to avoid the area around the bridge, including the South Street Seaport in Manhattan and DUMBO in Brooklyn. The bridge had been temporarily shut down to traffic, but has since reopened.
The bridge originally opened in 1883 and has a nearly 1,600-foot main span.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
23 minutes ago
- Associated Press
DC Attorney General expects city to retain police leadership for now
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.
CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
Jimmy Ellis Training Weekend brings firefighters from around the country to Butler County
This weekend, hundreds of firefighters from around the country will meet in Butler County for what has become one of the biggest training events for firefighters in the region. The third annual Jimmy Ellis Training Weekend is being held at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township in honor of Captain Jimmy Ellis, who served in the city of Pittsburgh as a firefighter for 23 years before his death in 2022. What originally started with 65 students has become a three-day event with nearly 400 people participating in lectures, demonstrations and hands-on training, all in remembrance of Ellis, who became known as one of the most influential firefighter instructors in the region and nationwide. "We say he's a fireman's fireman," said Dave Moore, president of the Jimmy Ellis Firefighter Foundation. "[He was] very instrumental in teaching and leading, so he was a great fire instructor and just a great human being, great family guy." "Just a knowledgeable guy, very quiet and humble, but he taught from the heart, and I think that's why we got along so good,"said retired New York City Fire Department Lt. Mike Ciampo, the event's keynote speaker. "It's not about being an instructor; being that quiet mentor in life, just demonstrating what you can do, and having other people watch and getting involved. That's what makes you a good instructor and a good person." Part of the training will be classes at eight different sites around Butler, Allegheny and Washington counties. "They're very good, very high-quality training," said Moore. "It's one of the biggest firefighter trainings in western Pennsylvania, if not the biggest." Besides the instructional training, students are also taught about the importance of firefighters maintaining their mental health. "This job is very emotional," said Ciampo. "You might hold it inside. We respond to drug overdoses, car accidents, fires, burnt bodies. It can play a toll on you. Help is available." Ciampo said he met Ellis on the nationwide teaching circuit, and said it was his demeanor and his dedication to helping people that made him a special instructor. "The first thing he would want is us not doing this," Ciampo said. "But when he found out that we're helping other families in need, or firefighters that are sick, or we can send another student to another conference in his memory to learn, I think that's what he'd be most proud of." "We just try to push his legacy through and make sure that everybody understands what it's like, what it was like to know Jimmy and learn from Jimmy," said Moore. "We just try to keep passing that forward."
CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
Texas man reunited with his lost college ring 56 years after it slipped into the Long Island sound
After spending more than a half century at the bottom of the Long Island Sound, a long lost college ring has been reunited with its owner. It's thanks to Port Jefferson resident Dave Orlowski, who uses a metal detector to hunt for history and treasures. He's unearthed dozens of jewels, but their owners can be unknowable. "I don't do it for money. I do it for the thrill," Orlowski said. "You never know what you're going to pull out." Weeks ago, at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai, Orlowski pulled out a priceless treasure, complete an ID. "It said Alfred DiStefano, class of 1969, Fordham University," Orlowski said. That started another hunt. Orlowski contacted Karen Manning, the Facebook page administrator for the Fordham Class of '69. "Al sent me a message, and I said did you lose your ring, your Fordham ring, and he said yes, a long time ago," Manning explained. Fifty six years ago, to be precise. The ring was shipped to Alfred DiStefano in Texas, where the retired doctor had his postman record the reunion. "This is a miracle. I couldn't describe it any other way," he said. He recalled watching the sunset on a pier near Cedar Beach in 1969. "I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember watching it slip off my finger into the water, and it was deep," he said. "I said, it's gone." DiStefano said the gold palladium ring held up remarkably well after spending 56 years in the Long Island Sound. "It's great. I haven't taken it off since I got it. I figured if I make it another 56 years, it will be on my finger. They can bury me in it," he said. The ring, worth about $100 in 1969, could now have been sold for more than $3,000. Orlowski credits his wife for helping him decide it was worth far more than its weight in gold. "She said if it were your ring, you would want it returned, and I said question answered, right there," Orlowski said. "I think a lot of people would not go out of their way, the extra mile. He did, and I really appreciate it," DiStsfano said. "He's very happy. It makes me happy that it made him happy," Orlowski said. The ring was buried more than a foot deep. With the help of good hearts, it found its way home.
