Latest news with #KnightoftheSeas
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mexico mourns Navy cadets killed in Brooklyn Bridge ship crash
Mexicans are mourning the death of two young Navy cadets who were killed on Saturday when the training tall ship ARM Cuauhtémoc crashed into Brooklyn Bridge. América Sánchez, 20, and 23-year-old Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos were among the 277 crew members on board the Mexican Navy's sailing ship when its three masts snapped as they hit the bridge. According to Mexican media, Sánchez was one of the cadets who was standing on top of the masts at the time of the accident. Twenty-two other crew members were injured, three of them critically, the Mexican Navy said. The commander of the Mexican Navy, Admiral Pedro Raymundo Morales, said all the crew members well enough to travel would be taken back to their homeland soon. The body of América Sánchez is scheduled to be transferred to the Naval Academy in her home state of Veracruz later on Monday. Her mother, Rocío Hernández, described the 20-year-old cadet as "an exemplary daughter" who was "a dedicated student" aiming to become a naval engineer. Standing before an impromptu altar adorned with flowers and photos of América Sánchez dressed up for her "quinceañera", the party marking her 15th birthday, Ms Hernández paid tribute to her daughter. "She was a warrior, a soldier who didn't give up, who always fought for her goals," she said, adding that her daughter only had one year left until her graduation. "They [the Navy] will hold a private ceremony in her honour at the Veracruz Naval Academy for her and then I will bring her home," Ms Hernández said thanking all of her daughter's relatives, friends and teachers, whom she asked "to remember her [América] with affection". In San Mateo del Mar, a coastal town in Oaxaca state, friends and relatives of Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos have also been paying their respects after the young cadet was confirmed as the second fatal victim of the crash. His friends told local media that the 23-year-old had always dreamt of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a sailor. Being on board the Cuauhtémoc, also known as "Knight of the Seas", had been his greatest wish, they recalled. "The sea saw him being born and the sea was a witness to his passing," one friend to media, adding that "all of us who knew him will remember him as a role model of an intelligent youth". The investigation into how the accident happened is still under way. New York police officials said it appeared that the Cuauhtémoc had lost power as it was leaving New York Harbour and was dragged towards Brooklyn Bridge by the current. Its three masts, measuring more than 48m, hit the base of the bridge, which -according to the New York transport department's website - only has a clearance of 41.1m. All three masts collapsed and video footage taken by bystanders shows some of the crew members dangling from the yards and sails. Mexico's Navy Secretary Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles said in a statement the results of any investigation would be followed with "total transparency and responsibility". The Cuauhtémoc left Acapulco, Mexico, on 6 April on a tour that included stops in New York and Aberdeen, Scotland, for the city's Tall Ships race in July. US officials investigating fatal Mexican Navy ship crash Two dead as Mexican Navy ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
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 — 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… — 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.
