The Mexican naval vessel the Cuauhtémoc “lost power” shortly before crashing into New York’s Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night resulting in two fatalities, authorities said as an investigation into the incident continues.
The high-mast Mexican vessel crashed into the iconic bridge shortly after 8 pm local time (2 am CEST).
In eyewitness videos, the ship can be seen travelling swiftly in reverse toward the bridge near the Brooklyn side of the East River. Its three masts struck the bridge and snapped one by one as the ship kept moving.
The ship was reportedly taking part in a goodwill tour at the time of the collision.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her government was “deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the training ship Cuauhtémoc, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York,” as she promised consular assistance.
“Our solidarity and support go out to their families. The ministry of the navy, with the support of local authorities, is currently attending to the wounded,” the leader said in a post on X.
Mexican officials identified the two victims of the crash as 22-year-old Adal Jair Marcos, 22 and América Yamilet Sánchez, from Xalapa in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Both were reportedly on the same mast at the time of the collision.
The extent of the crash first became clear on Sunday morning when social media images showed the vessel docked with two of its masts destroyed and one dangling.
No one on the Brooklyn Bridge was injured by the collision. Officials said traffic was temporarily halted but allowed to resume after inspection.
It is unclear what caused the ship to veer off course. New York Police Department Special Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles said the boat had just left a Manhattan pier and was supposed to have been headed out to sea, not toward the bridge.
Initial statements by crewmates suggest that the ship’s pilot lost power due to a mechanical problem.
Video editor • Thomas Oreilly
