Mexican Sailing Ship Rams Brooklyn Bridge, Killing 2, Injures More than a Dozen

Safety at Work

Brooklyn, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – The Mexican Navy ship, called the Cuauhtemoc, rammed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night, killing two crew members and leaving others dangling high above the deck waiting for help.

Officials said the ship was on a global goodwill tour when it struck the bridge, snapping its three masts. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the 142-year-old bridge did not suffer any serious damage, but at least 19 people on board the ship required medical treatment, including four who suffered serious injuries. Adams announced on social media early on Sunday that two of those suffering serious injuries had died.

“Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge,” Adams tweeted. “At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries.”

One of the dead was identified by Mexican officials as Merica Yamileth Sanchez Hernandez from Veracruz. The state’s governor, Rocie Nahle, posted condolences to her family.

“I deeply regret the passing of Veracruz cadet América Yamilet Sánchez,” she posted. “My love, support, and solidarity go out to her family. My gratitude to the @SEMAR_mx and my wishes for a speedy recovery for those injured. Veracruz is with you.”

Officials said 11 of those injured were in critical condition and nine were in stable condition.

“At approximately 8:20 Saturday night, the FDNY received a call that a boat struck the Brooklyn Bridge,” the Chief of Training Michael Meyers of the Fire Department of New York tweeted Sunday. “Twenty-seven people were removed for treatment.”

The vessel was in the East River as part of a promotional tour in New York City. The scene was captured in multiple eyewitness videos. The ship could be seen traveling toward the Brooklyn side of the bridge. As it went under the bridge, its three masts struck the bridge one by one as the ship kept moving. Prior to the crash, multiple videos captured images of sailors standing on the masts as part of the promotional efforts.

Videos of the moment of the collision show two people who appeared to have been on the topmost rung of the mast swinging forward violently. Videos of the aftermath showed some people hanging from the wreckage by ropes and others clinging to the masts on their bellies.

Tugboats near the ship, which seemed to be moving backwards, were also seen in the videos.

None of the sailors fell into the water, as a result of the accident, although several were left dangling from the masts waiting for rescue. After the collision, the ship drifted into a nearby pier on the riverbank as tourists and onlookers scrambled to get out of the way. Officials said the incident is under investigation.

The nearly 300-foot-long ship, with a 160-foot-tall main mast, was on a training trip. It sailed for the first time in 1982. Each year, it sets out at the end of classes at the Mexican naval military school to finish cadets’ training. Officials said it left Acapulco this year on April 6.

It arrived in New York City on May 13, where it was open to visitors for several days. The ship was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 countries over 254 days, 170 of them at sea. The ship was scheduled for visits in Kingston, Jamaica; Havana; Reykjavik, Iceland; Aberdeen, Scotland; Avilés, Spain; Bridgetown, Barbados; and London, England, among others, officials said.

Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz said they were watching the sunset when the ship struck the bridge.

“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 told the Associated Press.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum regretted the loss of the two crew members.

“Our solidarity and support go out to their families,” Sheinbaum said on X.

It wasn’t initially clear what caused the ship to veer off course. New York Police Department Special Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles told the Associated Press the ship had just left a Manhattan pier and was supposed to have been headed out to sea. Initial reports indicated the ship had lost power due to a mechanical problem, but officials said that information was very preliminary.

Share This Article: