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Mexico mourns two navy cadets killed when ship crashed into Brooklyn Bridge

Mexico mourns two navy cadets killed when ship crashed into Brooklyn Bridge

The Guardian19-05-2025

Mexico is grieving two cadets in the country's navy that were killed Saturday when the tall training ship Cuauhtémoc crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.
América Sánchez, 20, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, 23, died in the wreck that injured 22 other crew members, including three critically.
The body of Sánchez was scheduled to be transferred Monday to the naval academy in her home state of Veracruz. She was in her final year as a navy cadet and was part of the international training cruise scheduled to visit 15 countries.
Sánchez's mother, Rocío Hernández, said her daughter was 'exemplary' and 'a dedicated student' who dreamed of becoming a naval engineer.
'She was a warrior, a soldier who didn't give up, who always fought for her goals,' Hernández said of her daughter, according to the BBC. She said that Mexico's navy will hold a private ceremony for her at the naval academy before she brings her home.
Meanwhile, friends and relatives of Maldonado have reportedly been paying their respects in San Mateo del Mar, a coastal town in the state of Oaxaca. His friends told local media he had dreamt of following in his father's footsteps in becoming a sailor.
An investigation into Saturday's crash remains ongoing. It could take a year.
Commercial water traffic in the vicinity of the wreck remained suspended on Monday.
According to New York police, the Cuauhtémoc – which had 277 people on board – lost power as it was departing New York Harbor for Iceland and was dragged toward the Brooklyn Bridge by the current. Its three masts measuring more than 157ft (48m) collided with the base of the bridge, whose clearance is around 41m (134.5ft).
The ship reportedly had a local harbor pilot – familiar with the conditions of the water there – and an area docking pilot helping guide the ship. At least one was on board at the time of the crash.
Bystanders captured the moments the ship collided with the bridge, which collapsed all three of the ship's masts.
The ship left Acapulco, Mexico, on 6 April and was scheduled to stop in Aberdeen, Scotland, in July amid a global goodwill tour. The National Transportation Safety Board was scheduled to hold a news conference to provide updates on the investigation on Monday afternoon.

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After a jet crashed into their neighborhood, some survivors say their emotional recovery is stunted by living so close to a busy airport. Ariana Drehsler for NBC News; AP U.S. news A jet crashed into their neighborhood. Now they live in dread below an active flight path. 'We hold our breath now every time a plane goes over,' said Srujana McCarty, who was sleeping when the private jet hit her family's San Diego home.
After a jet crashed into their neighborhood, some survivors say their emotional recovery is stunted by living so close to a busy airport. Ariana Drehsler for NBC News; AP U.S. news A jet crashed into their neighborhood. Now they live in dread below an active flight path. 'We hold our breath now every time a plane goes over,' said Srujana McCarty, who was sleeping when the private jet hit her family's San Diego home.

NBC News

time2 days ago

  • NBC News

After a jet crashed into their neighborhood, some survivors say their emotional recovery is stunted by living so close to a busy airport. Ariana Drehsler for NBC News; AP U.S. news A jet crashed into their neighborhood. Now they live in dread below an active flight path. 'We hold our breath now every time a plane goes over,' said Srujana McCarty, who was sleeping when the private jet hit her family's San Diego home.

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About every 30 minutes, an aircraft roars above and brings them back to the morning fire roused them out of bed. 'It terrifies me knowing that we have planes coming over here all day, all the time,' Rivera said. 'It's a lot to be reminded of every single day.' 'Everything on fire all at once' On the night of the crash, before McCarty and her husband, Ben, went to sleep, they tucked in their two young sons, put their dogs in crates, locked their doors and set the alarm. 'Everything was set up for their safety,' said Ben McCarty, 33, who has served in the Navy for 13 years. Stillness fell over Murphy Canyon, home to more than 4,900 Navy families in one of the largest military housing complexes in the world. Then, just before 4 a.m., a Cessna 550 Citation jet slammed into the front yard of the McCartys' home, partially collapsing their roof and thrusting one of their trucks into the living room. Waves of heat from the fire instantly penetrated their bedroom, jolting them awake. 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Remembering D-Day: Veteran, 100, offers first-hand account of D-Day
Remembering D-Day: Veteran, 100, offers first-hand account of D-Day

The Herald Scotland

time3 days ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Remembering D-Day: Veteran, 100, offers first-hand account of D-Day

Tolley Fletcher, at the time a 19-year-old Navy gunner's mate, remembered the rough seas and the treacherous landing troops at Utah Beach had to make in 3- to 4-foot waves, each carrying about 60 pounds of gear on their backs and descending on rope ladders from larger ships onto smaller landing crafts. "I felt for those soldiers," Fletcher, now 100 years old, told USA TODAY. "In my mind, that was the worst part, other than people getting hurt." Fletcher, who joined the Navy at 17 in late December 1941, said he and his shipmates were fortunate to be mostly out of the line of fire. "There was some shelling, not really a lot, and luckily we didn't get hit. "Maybe halfway in, we started seeing lots of bodies in the water," said Fletcher, who now lives in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area. "I was asked (later) what we did about it. We didn't do anything about it - we had a job: to escort those troops to the beach." On D-Day, "that's what these guys faced," said Peter Donovan Crean Sr., vice president for education and access at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. "They knew they were in the presence of history. Soldiers, sailors, Marines - they knew what they were doing was going to go down in history, which also meant they knew the danger involved. "Guys who were 18, 19, 20 years old were faced with the possibility of their death, but they did it anyway." As we mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day, here is a look at what happened on the beaches of Normandy, the men who fought knowing they might not survive to see victory and the way it affected the Allies' fight to defeat fascism, genocide and tyranny. What happened on D-Day? In order to defeat the Nazis in Europe, the Allies knew they'd have to take France, under German occupation since 1940. 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Terrifying moment bouncy castle takes off in freak wind flying 40ft into air sending children plunging back to earth
Terrifying moment bouncy castle takes off in freak wind flying 40ft into air sending children plunging back to earth

The Sun

time4 days ago

  • The Sun

Terrifying moment bouncy castle takes off in freak wind flying 40ft into air sending children plunging back to earth

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