Terrified witnesses describe ‘scary' moment Mexican navy tall ship crashed into Brooklyn Bridge: ‘A lot of people were crying'
Panicked parkgoers in Brooklyn Bridge Park could be seen on video running from the water's edge as the crippled ship appeared to drift toward them.
'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 the 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.'
Two people were killed and 17 injured, including four critically, according to fire officials and sources.
'We were celebrating and we were saying goodbye and singing,' said Ismari Romero, 43, who witnessed the terrifying incident from Pier 17 on the Manhattan side 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?''
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.
'It's kind of surreal to see . . . You saw some people taking some big falls off those masts.'
Aya Asan, a 33-year-old photographer from Crown Heights, had just completed a proposal photoshoot at Brooklyn Bridge Park when she saw the terror unfold.
'I couldn't even believe what I was seeing,' Asan said, noting that the park was packed with tourists who wanted to watch the sun set over the horizon just before the boat struck the bridge.
'For a moment, I thought the boat might somehow crash into the park area, where the people were. I started running away, everyone started running … Everyone was shocked and then we saw a lot of police and heard sirens. I saw people hanging there.'
Robert Kwiatkowski was at High Tide in the Fulton Ferry District with coworkers when cheers broke out as the festive ship sailed by – but those cheers quickly turned to horrified gasps.
'Everyone at the bar was cheering and was excited for it since it was so close, and then next thing you know the masts hit the bottom of the bridge,' he said.
'At that point we realized, 'oh, we're witnessing a tragedy. It is pretty horrific…I was just very hopeful and I know that first responders, FDNY, all that will attend to those people properly.'
A native New York, who witnessed the aftermath, said, 'I've lived in New York City my whole life' and 'I've never heard of a tall ship slamming into one of our nation's landmarks.'
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.
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