The East River became the scene of chaos on Saturday evening (May 17), when a Mexican Navy tall ship lost power and smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, leaving two dead and 19 injured.
The horrifying collision was captured in jaw-dropping videos that show the vessel's towering masts splintering against the iconic landmark.
Power Failure Leads To Disaster
The Cuauhtémoc - a 297-foot Mexican Navy barque built in 1982 - was navigating the East River on Saturday when it abruptly lost power, as reported by BBC News.
The vessel — 40 feet wide with masts reaching 48.2 meters — was attempting a maneuver when it drifted directly into the bridge’s structure.
“Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtemoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed on X.
Onboard were 277 crew and cadets. Nineteen were injured, two critically. It has been confirmed that two others have lost their lives.
Footage of the crash shows the Cuauhtémoc gliding helplessly beneath the bridge before all three masts were sheared off, raining debris onto the deck and into the water below.
Eyewitnesses Describe Chaos on Deck and Shore
Due to the sheer scale of the tragedy and the fact it took place amid a bustling area of New York City, a number of eyewitnesses were able to capture the event unfold in real-time, with videos now flooding social media platforms.
Several videos can be seen below:
Brooklyn local Nick Corso, 23, was watching from the shore when panic set in. “Lots of screaming, some sailors hanging from the masts, looked like panic happening on the ship,” he told AFP, via News.com.au. “People ran back and were screaming!”
In one video, the two sailors can be seen dangling from the ship's masts.
He also recalled seeing someone at the stern frantically trying to warn people away from the walkway as the ship approached the bridge.
Adding to the horror, Lily Katz told the AP that she saw a person dangling from the rigging high above. “There was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,” she said.
Emergency Response Rushed In
The New York City Fire Department quickly launched a coordinated emergency response. FDNY Chief of Training Michael Meyers described the urgency: “Originally, we had a Brooklyn box out for folks in the water, for a boat in distress,” he wrote on X. “Once the marine units arrived on scene, we knew immediately that we had a serious incident with a boat striking the bridge.”
Rescue teams brought EMS personnel aboard the Cuauhtémoc to treat the injured. Casualties were then transferred to Pier 16, where a triage area had been set up.
Witness Kelvin Flores described a chaotic aftermath: “Just seeing the actual damage was insane. People carrying stretchers... they were trying to get the injured out.”
Training Voyage Cut Short
The Cuauhtémoc had been on a 254-day international tour to 22 ports across 15 countries, including Jamaica, Cuba, France, and Iceland, according to The Guardian. The voyage was part of the final phase of naval training for Mexican cadets.
Just four days earlier, the ship had arrived in Manhattan to a festive welcome at Pier 17, featuring mariachi bands and traditional folk dancing, as shared by the Mexican embassy.
The Mexican Navy confirmed that the ship was engaged in a training mission when the accident happened and emphasized their commitment to safety. “The Ministry of the navy reaffirms its commitment to the safety of its personnel, transparency in its operations and excellence in the training of future officers of the Mexican navy,” it stated.
They also noted that “no personnel fell into the water, so it was not necessary to activate rescue operations.”
Bridge Reopens After Inspections
Despite the dramatic collision, structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge was minimal. The bridge was shut down temporarily for about 40 minutes but reopened after a preliminary inspection. “While inspections will remain ongoing, there are no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge,” the New York transport department said on X.
The Cuauhtémoc was later moved near the Manhattan Bridge. Fire department divers scoured the surrounding waters, but all personnel had been accounted for.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded with condolences: she said she was “deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members in the accident.”
Our thoughts continue to go out to every person impacted by this tragedy.