Mexican Navy Ship Crashes Into Brooklyn Bridge, Leaving Two Dead and 19 Injured
A routine training voyage turned tragic over the weekend when a Mexican Navy vessel collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, killing two crew members and injuring 19 others in a harrowing maritime accident that unfolded in New York Harbor.
The incident occurred on Saturday, May 17, as the ARM Cuauhtémoc, a tall training ship with 277 crew and passengers aboard, attempted to maneuver away from Manhattan’s shoreline. Just moments after departure, the vessel suffered a critical mechanical failure and lost power—leaving it vulnerable to the harbor’s currents and unable to navigate properly.
According to initial reports, the Cuauhtémoc began drifting dangerously close to the Brooklyn Bridge, a route it had not been scheduled to take. In a last-ditch effort to avoid disaster, the crew tried to reverse course. But the ship’s towering masts—too tall to clear the bridge’s underpass—struck the iconic structure, snapping rigging and sending debris falling onto the deck.
“They lost directional control,” explained NYPD Chief Wilson Aramboles. “With masts of that height, once the ship started drifting, it became a race against time—and the bridge.”
Witnesses on the scene described a terrifying moment as the ship inched closer to the bridge. “It felt like everything slowed down,” said Flavia Moreira, who was walking nearby. “People were clinging to the rigging—some looked like they were trying to climb down when it hit. It was chaotic.”
Officials later confirmed that the two victims fatally injured in the crash had fallen from the masts during the impact. Two others remain in critical condition.
New York Mayor Eric Adams offered condolences in a public statement:
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We’re grateful to the first responders whose swift action prevented an even greater tragedy.”
Mayor Adams also assured the public that a structural inspection of the Brooklyn Bridge found no significant damage, and the bridge has since reopened.
In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a heartfelt message mourning the loss of the two sailors and offering full support to the families. “This is a painful moment for our naval community,” she said. “Our thoughts are with all those affected.”
Mexican naval officials are currently working closely with local authorities in New York, providing medical care and support to the injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation to determine the root cause of the failure and assess whether additional protocols are needed for foreign naval visits to U.S. ports.
The Cuauhtémoc, celebrated as a floating ambassador of Mexico’s naval heritage, frequently visits ports worldwide as part of training missions and goodwill tours. Saturday’s accident has now cast a somber shadow over its latest journey—one that was meant to build international friendship but instead ended in sorrow.
