The crash occured on May 18, 2025, during a promotional tour in New York City.
Video / X
A Mexican Navy ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, causing multiple injuries and a rescue operation.
The ship’s masts snapped, and videos showed heavy traffic on the bridge during the collision.
Two people were removed from the ship on stretchers; the vessel’s status is under review.
Two people died and 17 others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Sunday.
“Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtemoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge”, Adams posted on X.
“At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, two of which remain in critical condition, and two more have sadly passed away from their injuries.”
The ship hit the bridge about 9pm local time on Saturday (2pm Sunday NZT) during a promotional tour, the top of its mast brushing the iconic frame as the vessel sailed through the East River.
Fire officials said there have been multiple injuries and a search operation has been launched following reports of people being in the water.
In a scene captured in multiple witness videos, three masts of the ship could be seen snapping and partially collapsing as they crashed into the deck of the bridge.
Videos showed heavy traffic on the bridge at the time of the collision.
The vessel – which has a crew of 277 – then drifted towards the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.
A Mexican navy tall ship, making a festive visit to New York, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, New York. Photo / Getty Images
Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz told the Associated Press they were sitting outside to watch the sunset when they saw the vessel strike the bridge and one of its masts snap. Looking closer, they saw someone dangling from high on the ship.
“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 like at least like 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,” Katz said.
They said they saw two people removed from the ship on stretchers onto smaller boats.
The Mexican Navy said in a social media post that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in an accident with the Brooklyn Bridge that prevented it from continuing its voyage.
It added that the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.
“The Secretary of the Navy renews its commitment to the safety of personnel, transparency in its operations and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Armada,” it said in Spanish.
The Cuauhtemoc is a vessel that sails at the end of classes at the Mexican naval military school to finish cadets’ training.
This year it left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on April 6 with 277 people onboard, the Navy said at the time.
The ship was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 nations, including Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; and New York.
It had also planned to go to Reykjavik, Iceland; Bordeaux, Saint Malo and Dunkirk, France; and Aberdeen, Scotland, among others, for a total of 254 days – 170 at sea and 84 in port.
