The training ship Cuauhtémoc of the Mexican Navy crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on the afternoon of Saturday, 17 May, as it was preparing to leave New York City. What was meant to be a festive farewell after a four-day stopover ended in a tragedy that is proving hard to explain. At least two crew members died and another 20 were injured when the ship’s three masts broke one by one as they struck the base of the city’s most iconic bridge.
The atmosphere had been celebratory. Crowds gathered at the pier, eager to take photos on the deck with the city skyline as a backdrop. On board, the mariachi group Huella Mexicana provided a soundtrack to the farewell, playing México, Lindo y Querido and Las Golondrinas, the traditional Mexican tune often heard when saying goodbye.
The cadets perched on the masts – the tallest of which reaches 45 metres, while the bridge’s clearance is 39 metres – were the last to realise what was about to happen. Shortly after 8pm, the ship began its departure manoeuvre. With their backs to the Brooklyn Bridge, the cadets waved goodbye to the crowds gathered at Pier 17 on the Manhattan side. Seconds later, some of them fell into the void, while others remained suspended in the air by their safety harnesses.
Thousands of witnesses captured the moment on their mobile phones during what had been a warm May afternoon. New York firefighters were the first to respond to the scene, and numerous videos shared on social media showed emergency crews transporting some of the injured on stretchers. Authorities have so far ruled out that any of the sailors fell into the waters of the East River, and by late Saturday, the only visible sign of the incident was a damaged section of fencing pushed in by the ship’s impact along the riverside walkway on the Brooklyn shore.
The mayor, Eric Adams, said that the 142-year-old bridge had not suffered any significant structural damage. He suggested that an electrical issue may have caused the current to drag the ship towards the pillars. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, also expressed her regret over the incident and thanked the mayor of New York for his support. “Our solidarity and support go out to the families,” she said.
Mexican government’s priority
Mexico’s ambassador to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma, had also taken part in the farewell celebration, alongside fellow diplomat Héctor Vasconcelos. After the accident, Moctezuma stated that the Mexican government’s priority was to support the injured sailors, a task being coordinated through the Mexican consulate in New York.
Although the cause of the accident is still under investigation, early theories suggest a technical failure led to a loss of power, leaving the ship at the mercy of the river’s current, which then dragged it into the bridge. One witness on land at Pier 17 said the tugboat failed, which is meant to assist the ship in safely departing the dock.
Police reported that the Cuauhtémoc’s mast height was 48.2 metres (158 feet), while the New York transport department’s website lists the bridge’s central clearance as 135 feet.
The Cuauhtémoc‘s crew is made up of 64 women and 213 men. The ship had departed from the port of Acapulco on 6 April with the mission of “promoting the seafaring spirit” and “carrying a message of peace and goodwill from the people of Mexico.” Its planned journey included stops at 22 ports in 15 countries. Before arriving in New York, the ship had visited Jamaica and Cuba, and was next scheduled to head to Iceland. The voyage was expected to last 170 days at sea and 84 days in port.
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