Mexican Navy Ship Crashes into Brooklyn Bridge, Killing Two

On Saturday, May 17, the Mexican naval training ship Cuauhtémoc collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, killing two crew members and injuring 19 others. The 297-foot ship, carrying 277 people, lost power shortly after leaving a Manhattan pier and unintentionally approached the bridge.

As the ship reversed under the bridge, its masts — too tall to pass through — struck the structure. Some crew members were standing on the masts when they broke and fell, causing the fatal injuries. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic, with sailors hanging from broken rigging and people screaming.

Despite the dramatic collision, a city inspection confirmed no major damage to the bridge, and it was reopened shortly afterward.

New York Mayor Eric Adams and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum both expressed condolences and support for the victims and their families. An investigation is ongoing into the mechanical failure that caused the accident.