Watch: Moment when Mexican Navy's training ship crashed into Brooklyn Bridge
The spectacle of a naval tall ship gliding through the East River turned, in seconds, into a scene of chaos in Manhattan on Saturday evening.
The Mexican Navy's famed training vessel, ARM Cuauhtémoc, collided with the Brooklyn Bridge during its promotional tour stop in New York City, the top of its towering masts scraping — and then slamming — into the historic span. The collision was captured in a video that quickly spread across social media, drawing gasps from onlookers and resulting in the partial collapse of the ship's rigging and injury to over twenty people.
The video, shot from the shoreline near South Street Seaport, opens with the white-hulled ship sailing beneath the bridge and then, in a jarring moment, the top of the mainmast striking the underside of the bridge. A loud, metallic crack rings out as rigging snaps and wood and steel tumble downward.
A large ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge while crossing under it
pic.twitter.com/B2BvlNAHOz
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 18, 2025
Sailors — some still clinging to the rigging — scramble as the mast shears away. One crew member, suspended high above the deck in a harness, dangles helplessly for what eyewitnesses said was several minutes before being rescued. On the bridge above, traffic appears to slow and stop, with drivers watching in stunned silence.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed later that evening that 19 people were injured in the crash, four of them seriously. He assured the public that while the Cuauhtémoc sustained significant structural damage, the 142-year-old Brooklyn Bridge remained structurally sound. 'The bridge took a hit, but she held,' Adams said at a late-night press briefing near City Hall.
At approximately 8:20 Saturday night, the FDNY received a call that a boat struck the Brooklyn Bridge. There were 277 people on the boat. 27 people were removed for treatment.
'Originally, we had a Brooklyn box out for folks in the water, for a boat in distress. Once the… pic.twitter.com/lP1x2UU7PB
— FDNY (@FDNY) May 18, 2025
The cause of the collision is under investigation. The US Coast Guard and New York Harbor authorities are examining whether pilot error, faulty navigation calculations, or miscommunication led to the incident. The Cuauhtémoc, which spans nearly 300 feet and carries three towering masts, should have cleared the bridge's height — but did not.
Constructed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge has long withstood the test of time. It stretches over 1,600 feet from shore to shore, supporting more than 100,000 vehicles and over 30,000 pedestrians daily.
The Cuauhtémoc, often described by the Mexican Navy as 'Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,' is a training vessel for naval cadets. Built in 1982 and based out of the Pacific port of Acapulco, the ship serves as a capstone voyage for graduating officers. This year's journey began on April 6, with 277 cadets, officers, and crew aboard. New York was to be one of 22 ports of call in a voyage spanning 15 countries and 254 days.
Officials from the Mexican Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that its ambassador and New York consular officials were in contact with local authorities 'to assist affected cadets.' The Mexican Navy added that an internal review of both material and personnel was underway, but offered no confirmation of injuries among the crew.
Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz, both Brooklyn residents, had come to Pier 17 to watch the sunset when they witnessed the crash. 'We saw someone dangling,' Katz told news agency AP. 'He was just stuck up there for so long. We were afraid he was going to fall.'
Rescue efforts were swift, with emergency crews arriving by water and air. At least two injured individuals were seen being removed from the ship on stretchers to waiting Coast Guard vessels.
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