Mexican navy ship strikes Brooklyn Bridge, killing two people
1 of 2 | The Mexican navy's tall ship Cuauhtémoc is pictured after it was demasted in a collision with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City's East River on Saturday. Photo via FDNY/UPI | License Photo
May 18 (UPI) -- Two people are dead after a Mexican marine navy vessel struck a bridge in Brooklyn Saturday, snapping the ship's three masts and leaving some crew members hanging high above the water waiting for rescuers to arrive.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the 142-year old bridge did not sustain major damage, but at least 19 people aboard the vessel needed medical attention.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the accident.
Witnesses said the vessel, named the Cuauhtemoc, was traveling rapidly in reverse along the East River on the Brooklyn side and hit the bridge, snapping its three masts one at a time as the boat kept moving. No one on the bridge was reported to have been injured.
Ship traffic was heavy on the river when the collision occurred at about 8:20 p.m. EDT, video from local news outlet video showed.
The ship, flying a large Mexican flag, which had 277 people onboard, drifted into a pier on the riverbank. The boasts mass were strung with white lights which crumpled and fell in succession as they struck the bridge.
Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum said on X that the country was in solidarity with the family members of the two crew members who died in the accident and mourning their loss.
The Mexican navy said the Cuauhtemoc is a training vessel and that 22 of its crew members were injured.
The Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883 and spans 1,660 feet across the East River and is supported by two masonry towers. Roughly 100,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, along with 32,000 pedestrians, according to the city's transportation department. The bridge has long been a major tourist attraction.
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