Latest news with #ElijahWest
New York Post
18-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Harrowing video shows Mexican sailors clinging to rigging for dear life after tall ship smashed into Brooklyn Bridge
Harrowing video shows Mexican sailors clinging to the rigging of the tall ship that smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night — after dozens of crew members were seen standing on the masts of the vessel as it careened out of control. Two sailors were killed and 17 were injured after the ship, Mexican navy training vessel collided with iconic bridge just before 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. Video taken at the moment of the crash shows dozens of sailors lined up on the 147-foot masts as it set off on its journey for Iceland with 277 on board following a goodwill visit to New York City. Footage filmed from the Brooklyn side of the East River shows the Cuauhtémoc's three masts hitting the bridge and snapping after an apparent mechanical failure, sending it drifting in reverse downstream. Advertisement 6 Mexican sailors seen dangling from masts after their boat hit the Brooklyn Bridge. Elijah West Other eyewitness video shows sailors hanging from the rigging ropes on the damaged masts. 'We saw someone dangling, and I couldn't tell if it was just blurry or my eyes, and we were able to zoom in on our phone and there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for at least 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,' eyewitness Lily Katz told The Associated Press. Advertisement Emergency diving crews were sent in to check the water as a precaution, but remarkably, no one fell in, officials said. 6 2 have been killed and 22 wounded following the crash. Elijah West The sound when the masts hit the bridge sounded like the loud snapping of a 'big twig,' said Nick Corso, who had his phone out to capture the boat as it passed under the bridge. 6 The Post's frontpage after the shocking accident. Advertisement Those around him began running as 'pandemonium' broke out on board the ship, and he saw sailors dangling from a mast, he said. 6 The boat suffered a mechanical failure before it hit the bridge. Paul Martinka 'I didn't know what to think, I was like, is this a movie?' he added. The most critically injured sailors were up on the mast of the ship at the time of the crash, officials said. Advertisement 6 Horrified eyewitnesses watched as the masts snapped on the bridge. Elijah West The injured were taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, Mayor Eric Adams said. 'We are praying for everyone on board and their families and are grateful to our first responders who quickly jumped into action, ensuring this accident wasn't much worse,' Adams told a news conference on Saturday night. 6 The boat was leaving New York en route to Iceland when it crashed. PORTER BINKS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 'Following our preliminary inspection, we can confirm that the bridge sustained no damage and is now open to the public,' he went on. Video shows heavy traffic on the bridge at the time of the collision. The ship, flying an enormous Mexican flag, had arrived in New York earlier this week and had been moored at the South Street Seaport Museum where it was offering tours to the public. As of Sunday morning, it has been taken to Pier 36 on the Lower East Side, where it was guarded by NYPD officers and an NYPD harbor unit in the water. Advertisement A 50-yard safety zone has been set up around the ship, the US Coast Guard said in a statement. Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has spoken out following the accident. 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc Training Ship, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our sympathy and support go out to their families,' Sheinbaum said on X.
NDTV
18-05-2025
- General
- NDTV
Witnesses Share Horror of Brooklyn Bridge Collision: "Saw People Hanging From The Sails"
Chaos erupted when a Mexican Navy training ship, the Cuauhtemoc, collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday. The ship, carrying 277 crew members, mostly cadets, lost power and crashed into the bridge around 8:30 pm local time. The impact sheared off the top of the ship's 147-foot masts, which exceeded the bridge's 135-foot clearance. Upon collision with the New York City landmark, the ship snapped all three of its masts, killing two people and injuring 19 others. The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a nearly 1,600-foot (490-meter) main span that is supported by two masonry towers. More than 100,000 vehicles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross every day, according to the city's transportation department, and its walkway is a major tourist attraction. The Cuauhtemoc - about 297 feet long and 40 feet wide (90.5 meters long and 12 meters wide), according to the Mexican Navy - sailed for the first time in 1982. Witness Accounts: Witnesses described a terrifying scene, with screams filling the air as the ship crashed into the bridge. Some onlookers ran from the water's edge as the crippled ship drifted toward them. Elijah West, who witnessed the crash, said, "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 the boat's sails." "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," he added. Another witness, Ismari Romero, recounted the moments leading up to the crash, saying they were celebrating and singing as the ship departed, but the scene quickly turned chaotic. "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?" Mr Romero said. Similarly, Matt Tibbitts was on a ferry heading from Dumbo to Williamsburg with friends when he realized the vessel wasn't going to clear the Brooklyn 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 recounted. Describing the scene as surreal, Matt added, "You saw some people taking some big falls off those masts". Aya Asan, a 33-year-old photographer from Crown Heights, also witnessed the terrifying crash after finishing a proposal photoshoot at Brooklyn Bridge Park. "I couldn't even believe what I was seeing. For a moment, I thought the boat might somehow crash into the park area, where the people were. I started running away, and everyone started running … Everyone was shocked, and then we saw a lot of police and heard sirens. I saw people hanging there," Ms Asan said.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Terrified witnesses describe ‘scary' moment Mexican navy tall ship crashed into Brooklyn Bridge: ‘A lot of people were crying'
Terrified witnesses heard the deafening sound of screams as a massive Mexican navy tall ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night. 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.
Mint
18-05-2025
- General
- Mint
New York bridge crash: Mexican navy tall ship lost power before collision with Brooklyn Bridge, say cops
The Mexican navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc, which held a crew of 277 largely made up of cadets, appeared to have lost control on Saturday night and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, reported the New York Post. According to the report, which quoted New York Police Department (NYPD), the Mexican navy tall ship apparently lost power shortly before the collision. The report added that the ship went backwards into the bridge and slammed its towering masts into the roadbed at about 8:30 pm (local time). When the ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, two sailors were on top of one of the 147-foot masts. According to fire officials, two people were killed and 17 injured. Meanwhile, officials have not released the names of the two crew members who died. As per the details, as quoted by NYP, the majestic Cuauhtémoc was sailing out of New York on its way to Iceland. After the ship crashed, numerous crew members dangled for their lives from the sails. The Maximum clearance for the bridge is 135 feet. However, a collision sheared off the ship's 147-foot masts. Built in Spain in 1982 to train cadets, the ship was in New York City as part of a promotion for next year's Sail4th tall ship event, which celebrates America's 250th birthday. After the incident, the Mexican navy released a statement. It said, as NYP quoted, "During the sailing maneuver of the Cuauhtémoc sailboat in New York, a mishap occurred with the Brooklyn Bridge, causing damage to the training ship, preventing the continuation of the training cruise for the time being." "The status of personnel and equipment is being reviewed by naval and local authorities, who are providing support. The Navy reaffirms its commitment to personnel safety, transparency in its operations, and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Navy,' they added. With several videos of the crash emerging on social media, one of the witness Elijah West said, as quoted by NYP, '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." '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," she added. Following the crash, several onlookers stood by the shore with cameras and filmed the ship's departure from numerous angles. 'We were scared — a lot of people were screaming, a lot of people were crying,' NYP quoted Romero who witnessed the ship's crash with her sister from Pier 17. 'We were celebrating and we were saying goodbye and singing. We were all joyful, and they departed. And then they reached the Brooklyn Bridge," he added.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Brooklyn Bridge-Mexican ship collision: Questions raised as videos show people on masts, ‘Why were they up there?'
Chilling videos that have emerged show people dangling from the topmasts of a Mexican Navy tall sailing ship while it collided with the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night, May 17. The ship was carrying at least 200 people on board. The tragedy left two people dead, and at least 17 injured. The videos and images have left netizens questioning why people were on the masts, and how the captain could sail into the bridge with sailors on the masts. 'Why did the captain sail right into the Brooklyn Bridge knowing there were people on the masts? Awful situation all around,' an X user wrote, sharing a video that appears to show sailors on the masts. Many others questioned what those people were doing on the masts. The Cuauhtémoc lost poweras it was sailing out of New York on its way to Iceland. The current carried it into the road deck of the bridge around 8:30 pm, Mayor Eric Adams said, according to the New York Post, The massive vessel's 147-foot masts were sheared off as a result of the collision, with several crew members dangling for their lives. '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 crash, according to the New York Post. West added, '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.' Ismari Romero, 43, who witnessed the crash with her sister from Pier 17, said people were crying. 'We were scared — a lot of people were screaming, a lot of people were crying,' said Romero. 'We were celebrating and we were saying goodbye and singing. We were all joyful, and they departed. And then they reached the Brooklyn Bridge.' At present, the ship is idle in the water. Emergency responders are working at Pier 16 to take care of those who were injured. People in critical condition were rushed to nearby hospitals.
