The Mexican Navy’s training vessel Cuauhtémoc collided with the Brooklyn Bridge last night. According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, two cadets died in the incident, and 19 others were injured—two of them critically.
The ship struck the bridge structure with its masts, each approximately 48 meters tall. All three masts were damaged. At the time of the collision, several cadets were positioned about 40 meters above deck. Social media videos show one cadet trying to hold onto a rope before falling, while another appears to be left hanging from a broken mast.
Preliminary reports suggest the ship, built in 1982, lost control and drifted backward, crashing into the bridge’s superstructure. Eyewitnesses told the New York Post that some crew members were thrown overboard by the impact.
The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.
