Mexican Navy ship crashes into New York City's Brooklyn Bridge

[Polybius]

Source: BBC News

A huge Mexican Navy training ship has been damaged after crashing into New York City's Brooklyn Bridge during a festive visit to the US.

Footage has emerged showing towering masts of the Cuauhtémoc clipping the bridge as the sailing vessel was passing under the famous structure on Saturday evening.

Parts of the masts reportedly fell on the deck, with US media reporting multiple injuries. New York City's Emergency Management (NYCEM) said it was "responding to an incident", without giving any further details.

The Mexican Navy confirmed that the ship was damaged, saying the incident was being investigated.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c991n8p4pdyo

[SledDriver]

1. Countdown till Trump declares this an act of war by Mexico

Deliberate attack on US infrastructure or some crap

[Silent Type]

2. Gawd, I hope trump doesn't declare war on Mexico. Watching on news, tops of the masts broke off. The bridge appears OK.

[generalbetrayus]

5. He'll probably settle for having the crew arrested

and deported to El Salvador.

[Silent Type]

9. No joke. I sure hope we have proper guidelines for handling a ceremonial foreign ship.

[SCantiGOP]

16. We don't need no stinking

Proper Guidelines. Those almost sound like DEI.
(But I do get your point)

[Polybius]

38. Has he even mentioned it yet?

I haven't heard him say anything.

[BidenRocks]

3. Rigging is heavy

I hope the crew is okay.

[babylonsister]

4. The ship was damaged? How about the bridge? nt

[generalbetrayus]

8. Orange Julius Caesar will increase the tariffs on Mexican goods

to pay for the damages.

[ribrepin]

18. That's exactly what he will do

[Silent Type]

11. It's still standing. I'm sure there is some damage, but could be minor. It was like the top 1/5th of masts.

They appeared to break relatively easily. I’m sure bridge will need close inspection.

[GP6971]

6. Initial reports on FB said the

Manhattan Bridge...typical FB BS.

[PJMcK]

7. Fascinating

On more than two dozen occasions I’ve sailed boats up and down the East River where the Brooklyn Bridge is located. It’s a spunky piece of water and it’s not surprising if a ship operator is unaware of the tidal currents that flow upwards of 4 knots (5-6 mph).

What’s also interesting is the clearance beneath ALL bridges are clearly represented on nautical charts. If the masts and/or superstructure of the ship hit the bridge the port captain would have been unaware of the “air draft” necessary to clear the bridge. It’s kind of inexcusable ship handling.

What’s also curious is there are at least six bridges with at least 65-feet of clearance from the Battery to Long Island Sound. If the Mexican vessel exceeded that height it should not have traversed the East River.

To be clear, the so-called East River is not really a river but a tidal estuary. That means that the current changes direction about four times a day as the tides rotate between high and low water. Additionally, an estuary is a deeper area than where the “river” exits to the ocean. The East River is very deep but the New York harbor is much shallower.

It appears the skipper made a huge mistake. I sincerely hope none of the Mexican sailors were injured. The captain is going to have to explain the incident.

ETA: the clearance under the East River bridges is way over 100 feet so the Mexican sailing vessel should have been aware of the necessary dimensions for transiting the river.

[LauraInLA]

33. I believe the ship lost power -- I don't think the skipper intentionally tried to sail under the bridge.

[PJMcK]

36. You're correct

I posted early before more facts were known.

There’s no ay that ship could transit the East River bridges it would have to sail south under the Verrazano Bridge into the Atlantic.

The current grabbed ahold of the vessel and the rest is a disaster. My boat’s mast is only 45’ above the waterline so I don’t face the same problem. Still, that river is tough!

[Old Testament Libera]

37. Looks like the ship lost power

But it was sailing out under the auxiliary diesel - no sails. With a 4-knot tide making, it had no chance. This speaks to basic seamanship - don't depend on your auxiliary engine too much, teach those poor officer cadets how to sail using real sails. Then you would have to wait some hours for the tide to go OUT, and make sure you have something like a favorable breeze behind you. Advanced sailing skills for windjammers are in short supply these days. I'm sure Alan Villiers would have had much less trouble. Or Robert Hilgendorf.

Condolences for those lost or injured.

[bluedigger]

10. Sal is talking about it on What's Going on with Shipping on Youtube.

If it floats, Sal's the guy.

[wolfie001]

12. Shocking how the captain didn't estimate the height of the masts....

.......with the height of the bridge AND account for the tides. Seems so basic.

[LauraInLA]

34. I believe the ship lost power or something and the skipper couldn't control it.

[wolfie001]

35. Thank you

I just saw the clip then posted. It must have been pulled downriver by the current. "Shoot first and ask questions later"

[FelineOverlord]

13. Scary

[RoseTrellis]

24. Stuck in reverse

At the 51 second mark you can see significant reverse water flow. I’m betting something broke or jammed and it was stuck in reverse and couldn’t be stopped in time.

[FelineOverlord]

14. More video

[AllyCat]

15. Beautiful tall mast ship. So sorry to hear

About the damage and the injuries. Wishing a speedy recovery to all.

[canetoad]

17. Sorry about the source

But they have good pix to which you can hot-link.

[C Moon]

19. MAGAs: "Remember the Brooklyn Bridge!"

[Paladin]

26. Yeah, trump is probably still coming in his pants over this. (nt)

[riversedge]

20. AP: Mexican tall ship strikes Brooklyn Bridge, snapping masts and killing 2 crew members

https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-bridge-collision-mexican-navy-ship-ca335dc85ebfbf981bc38516985461c8


Mexican tall ship strikes Brooklyn Bridge, snapping masts and killing 2 crew members

By RUTH BROWN and KYLE MARIAN VITERBO
Updated 12:41 AM CDT, May 18, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — A Mexican navy sailing ship on a global goodwill tour struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday, snapping its three masts, killing two crew members and leaving some sailors dangling from harnesses high in the air waiting for help.

A Mexican navy ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday during a promotional tour in New York City, the top of its mast brushing the iconic span as it sailed through the East River. (AP Video by Kyle Marian Viterbo)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the 142-year-old bridge was spared major damage but at least 19 people aboard the ship needed medical treatment.

Two of the four people who suffered serious injuries later died, Adams announced on social media early Sunday.

The cause of the collision was under investigation.

[Kali]

31. Oh no

[BidenRocks]

21. I hear the ship lost power prior to impact.

Sound familiar Baltimore?
No damage to the bridge.
There were fatalities.

[riversedge]

22. 🚨 A Mexican Navy training ship, the Cuauhtmoc, built in Spain in 1982, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge

🚨BREAKING NEWS:

A Mexican Navy training ship, the Cuauhtémoc, built in Spain in 1982, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, carrying 200 people.

Its 150-foot masts collided with the structure, prompting a search and rescue operation in New York City.

Link to tweet

[GiqueCee]

23. Someone dropped the ball...

... BIG time by not doing the research that a third-grader would know to do: How tall the masts are – 158 feet – vs. the maximum clearance –135 feet – under the goddam bridge! Wow. Just wow.
Heads will roll, and well they should. Two sailors are dead and nineteen injured because of this gross negligence.

[Wonder Why]

25. I trim my trees before I drive under the Brooklyn Bridge. 🙂

[Eugene]

27. Two dead as Mexican Navy ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge

Two dead as Mexican Navy ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge (BBC)

Two people have been killed and at least 19 others injured after a tall Mexican Navy training sailing ship crashed into New York City's Brooklyn Bridge.

Police said the Cuauhtémoc, with 277 people on board, lost power on Saturday as the captain was manoeuvring the vessel, forcing it to head for the bridge abutment on the Brooklyn side.

Footage shows the ship's towering masts clip the bridge as it passed under the structure. Crew members were standing on the masts as they snapped and fell to the deck, authorities said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c991n8p4pdyo

[Drum]

28. Let's dispel the notion the ship was trying to sail under the bridge. They weren't and wouldn't.

The NYTimes says that they left Pier 17 and were to motor South into N.Y. Harbor “with a stop on the Brooklyn waterfront to refuel before heading onward to Iceland. Instead, at about 8:30 p.m., the Cuauhtémoc was apparently headed in the wrong direction, never intending to sail under the Brooklyn Bridge, said a spokesman for the city’s Office of Emergency Management.”

Information will emerge in the investigation. In the meantime please resist the pulse to scold. These are real sailors, under competent command, and I think it’s more of a mechanical failure than anything. I can’t believe it was a mistake in navigation or anything like that. To a sailor or boater, a huge priority is always to be sure of clearances and to avoid the terrible event of colliding with anything.

I live on Roosevelt Island n NYC, smack in the centerline of the East River, and the waters and tide flows are quite powerful, reversing several times daily. It’s a big challenge for boaters. Will be following this closely!

[IronLionZion]

29. Mexico is like here's payment for your border wall, take that

Trump might respond the same way he did with the red states hit by tornados this week, by golfing.

[k_buddy762]

30. Sabotage.

[AzTired64]

32. Mexican Navy

Anyone know if the Mexican Navy has an Admirals Mast as opposed to a Captain's Mast?

Someone's military career has come to a crashing(no pun intended) and rather undignified end.

Being Army, what I know about these types of vessels, there are a source of pride for their specific Navies.