On Saturday evening, chaos erupted when the Cuauhtemoc, a training ship from the Mexican Navy, crashed into New York’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge. The vessel, which was carrying 277 individuals, mostly cadets, lost power and collided with the bridge around 8:30 PM local time. The ship, with a 147-foot mast, struck the bridge’s clearance of 135 feet, leading to the devastating incident. As a result, the collision claimed the lives of two people and left 19 others injured.
The Brooklyn Bridge, inaugurated in 1883, boasts a main span supported by two sturdy masonry towers, extending approximately 1,600 feet (490 meters). More than 100,000 vehicles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians use the bridge daily, making it a major destination for tourists. The Mexican Navy vessel is reported to be about 297 feet in length, around 40.5 meters wide, and first set sail in 1982.
Witness Account:
Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene filled with screams as the ship crashed. Some onlookers quickly backed away from the water’s edge as the ship approached dangerously close. Elijah West, present during the chaos, recalled, “The boat was under the bridge; sailors were on board, and then they hit the bridge. People fell from the sails.” He noted the urgency of the situation, mentioning how quickly a police boat arrived for rescue efforts.
Another witness, Ismali Romero, remembered the festive atmosphere before the collision, where the crew had been celebrating and singing. He expressed the sudden shift: “We were all enjoying ourselves, but once we hit the Brooklyn Bridge, it became chaos. Scary. There were screams and tears everywhere.”
Matt Tibitz, who was on a ferry during the incident, described the moment of realization when onlookers started to comment, “Oh, I think it’s too tall.” The scene, he said, was surreal, and he even witnessed someone falling from the masts.
Aya Ashan, a 33-year-old photographer, shared her shock after wrapping up a photo shoot in the area. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. For a second, I thought that the boat might end up crashing into the park,” she said, expressing how everyone around was stunned and in disbelief.
