Two people lost their lives and more than a dozen were injured Saturday evening when the Mexican Navy training sailing ship Cuauhtemoc struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, causing chaos in one of the city’s most trafficked areas.
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, there were 277 people on board the ship when, shortly before 8:30 p.m. local time, the vessel collided with the structure while sailing on the East River.
Wilson Aramboles, an officer in charge of operations, clarified that no one fell into the water during the accident and that all the injured remained on board. Reports indicate the sailing ship was preparing to set sail when the collision occurred. Aramboles suggested that a mechanical problem may have caused the tragedy, leading to a loss of control of the vessel.
The Department of Transportation confirmed that despite the severity of the impact, no significant structural damage was detected on the bridge. The Mexican Navy, however, stated that the ship sustained serious damage, as shown in some published images where the ship’s masts appear broken.
Witnesses described dramatic scenes: a loud creaking sound, resembling wood giving way, followed by panicked screams that terrified the nearby crowd. Mexican Ambassador to the United States Esteban Moctezuma Barragán emphasized that the ship had departed from Cozumel, Mexico, and was headed to Iceland.
Local authorities have urged people to avoid the area surrounding the bridge, including the South Street Seaport neighborhood in Manhattan and DUMBO in Brooklyn. Traffic on the bridge, which had been temporarily suspended, was reopened after safety inspections.
The ARM Cuauhtémoc, used for training cadets of the Mexican Naval Academy, was built at the Astilleros Celaya shipyard in Bilbao, Spain. It was launched on January 9, 1982, and commissioned into service on July 29 of the same year. The tall ship is named after Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec ruler, a symbol of resistance against the Spanish conquest.
The brigantine has a steel hull, measuring approximately 220.5 feet in length and 39.4 feet in width, with a draft of 17.7 feet. It features three main masts that reach a height of about 160.4 feet, and it carries a total sail area of 25,485 square feet. The ship is also equipped with an auxiliary diesel engine producing 1,125 horsepower. The crew includes about 186 officers and sailors, along with 90 cadets in training.
