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| Mexican navy tall ship smashes into Brooklyn Bridge, shears off masts after losing power, 2 dead, 17 hurt | ||
| 2025-05-18 | ||
| [NYPOST] A massive Mexican navy tall ship on a goodwill visit to New York slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge late Saturday — toppling its huge masts in a horrifying scene that left two dead and 17 injured, including two critically, according to fire officials and sources. The majestic Cuauhtémoc — which has a crew of 277, mostly cadets — apparently lost power as it was sailing out of New York on its way to Iceland and the current carried it into the road deck of the bridge around 8:30 p.m., according to Mayor Eric Adams and footage of the crash. The collision sheared off the ship’s 147-foot masts – with alarming footage capturing numerous crew members dangling for their lives from the sails and booms after the boat hit the bridge, which has a max clearance of 135 feet.
“The boat was coming under the bridge, and there were sailors on top of the boat, the sails hit the bridge and then people were falling off of the boat sails,” said Elijah West, who witnessed the chilling crash at Brooklyn Bridge Park. “It was crazy. We were standing under the bridge and we all started running. Then I saw people hanging from the sails. Police boats came around fast — about five minutes later. And then police guided the boat to the (Manhattan) bridge and started the rescue. It was a shock.” Numerous onlookers stood by the shore with cameras and filmed the ship’s departure from numerous angles — and became alarmed as the tips of the masts toppled over one by one as they hit the bridge. Retired navy Capt. Alfred S. McLaren called the tragic incident “inconceivable.” “I’m dumbfounded,” the former nuclear submarine captain said. “It could lose power and drift. So the question is just how fast were they going. But why didn’t they use a rudder one way or another? One of the first things I would have done is drop my anchor or anchors.” The mutilated ship is currently idle in the water while emergency responders work at Pier 16 to care for the wounded. It’s expected to be moved to Pier 36, sources said. Those in critical condition were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. Officials have not released the names of the two crew members who died. Fire officials warned motorists to expect traffic delays and road closures near New Dock Street & water Street in Brooklyn. The bridge, which suffered minor damage, has since reopened to the public. The vessel, built in Spain in 1982 with the sole purpose of training cadets, was in New York City as part of a promotion for next year’s Sail4th tall ship event, which celebrates America’s 250th birthday. The stop is just the third in the vessel’s eight-month voyage around the globe, which offers the Mexican cadets the opportunity to flex their sailing muscles in environments like Jamaica, Iceland, Portugal and more. This year’s class boasts 175 cadets, the largest class the nation’s navy has seen yet. “The classes are getting bigger and bigger. We just keep getting more and more people!” said Lt. Sg. Hugo Calvario, the ship’s orthopedic surgeon. “We had to leave almost 40% of the crew to take on more cadets,” he continued, meaning the trainees have to pick up the slack and take on more responsibilities. The Post watched earlier this week as they skillfully climbed the dauntingly high ropes and stretched across the towers of the ship’s three masts to conduct what in English is known as “manning the yards” — a universal sign of respect that is done every time a ship enters a port. It is expected to be one of 30 Class A International Tall Ships that will parade through the Harbor on July 4, 2026. The Mexican navy released a statement after the wreck. “During the sailing maneuver of the Cuauhtémoc sailboat in New York, a mishap occurred with the Brooklyn Bridge, causing damage to the training ship, preventing the continuation of the training cruise for the time being,” they said. “The status of personnel and equipment is being reviewed by naval and local authorities, who are providing support,” the organization added. “The Navy reaffirms its commitment to personnel safety, transparency in its operations, and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Navy.”
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| Posted by:badanov |
| #16 Senator Chuck Schumer makes appalling claim about Brooklyn Bridge ship crash disaster |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-05-18 23:35 |
| #15 Chuck Schumer says it's due to the Doge cuts. |
| Posted by: Fairbanks 2025-05-18 22:27 |
| #14 #5 A tug was involved and it apparently lost power, sending everything backwards into the bridge. |
| Posted by: Fairbanks 2025-05-18 22:07 |
| #13 Ship towed to dock. Crew and passengers deboarded, can no longer be located. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2025-05-18 18:59 |
| #12 "One of the first things I would have done is drop my anchor or anchors.”" That is actually a strategy. When I was in the Navy 50+ years ago, we were approaching the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnel when we suddenly lost power. One of the bosuns quickly dropped the anchor. We stopped until power could be restored. Too bad they didn't think of it. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2025-05-18 18:17 |
| #11 “We had to leave almost 40% of the crew to take on more cadets,” There's your problem. |
| Posted by: Difar Dave 2025-05-18 17:37 |
| #10 Sinko De Mayo V2.0 /except for the sinking part |
| Posted by: Frank G 2025-05-18 16:23 |
| #9 Tall ship is now a medium. Snark O'The Day |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2025-05-18 15:18 |
| #8 If only the French had remained in Mexico 160 years ago. Well, maybe. |
| Posted by: DooDahMan 2025-05-18 14:49 |
| #7 this may be their only ship. |
| Posted by: Gravilet Snanter4154 2025-05-18 14:33 |
| #6 ^Machismo. |
| Posted by: Grom the Affective 2025-05-18 11:36 |
| #5 Why don't people use tugs anymore in such locations? You'd think safety would out weigh the cost and photo opportunities. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2025-05-18 11:35 |
| #4 I suspect that, like everything else Mexican, their navy has a nepotism problem, which is just as bad as DEI: instead of being chosen strictly for the boxes they check off, people are hired and promoted based on who their relatives/patrons are. Either way, ability is selected against. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2025-05-18 10:31 |
| #3 Calling captain Aubrey to the white courtesy phone. Does the Mexican Navy suffer from DEI? |
| Posted by: alanc 2025-05-18 09:16 |
| #2 This may blow the entire operating budget of tge Mexican Navy for 2025. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2025-05-18 07:50 |
| #1 apparently lost power RETRO Huge cargo ship loses power near NY bridge in incident reminiscent of what led to Baltimore collapse Federal officials urge safety reviews for 68 bridges after Key Bridge collapse Where's Pothole Pete? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-05-18 07:05 |