A Mexican Navy training vessel on a global goodwill tour struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of at least two people and injuries to approximately 20 others, according to officials.
Authorities stated on Saturday that there were 277 individuals aboard the sailing ship, named the Cuauhtémoc, at the time of the incident, and all are believed to be accounted for.
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Dramatic video footage captured the Cuauhtémoc’s masts hitting the bridge’s undercarriage and breaking as the ship passed beneath, with debris falling towards the deck.
Here’s what we know:
What happened: The incident occurred around 8:20 p.m. local time as the ship was departing from Pier 17 in New York, where it had been docked at the South Street Seaport Museum for a five-day public viewing.
The ship’s masts, which were illuminated with lights, struck the bridge, breaking upon impact and sending debris falling onto the vessel’s deck.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams indicated that the ship lost power. City officials had earlier suggested that “mechanical issues” might have contributed to the incident but cautioned that all information available was preliminary. An investigation is currently underway.
The New York Fire Department (NYFD) confirmed in an email to CNN that they received a call reporting that a ship had struck the bridge around 8:39 p.m. Over 100 fire and emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene, the NYFD stated in their email.
The ship’s masts sustained damage in the collision. Nick Corso/AP
Video footage of the Mexican Navy training ship shortly after it struck the Brooklyn Bridge showed people hanging from at least one of its masts. On tall ships like the Cuauhtémoc, it is a traditional ceremonial practice for sailors to climb the masts and rigging when entering or leaving a harbor.
“We could see some people being kind of dragged,” eyewitness Flavio Moreira told CNN. “I believe it was some of the staff; they were on the top of the boat. And they were swinging around, back and forth as soon as the ship hit the bridge.”
Multiple fatalities: Mayor Adams confirmed that two people were killed, and two others remain in critical condition. A law enforcement official informed CNN that the two fatalities occurred when individuals fell from one of the ship’s masts. They were pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital, the official said.
“At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” Mayor Adams wrote on X.
The Mexican Navy had earlier reported a total of 22 injuries, with 19 individuals being taken to hospitals.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the two individuals who died were crew members and extended her condolences to their families.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc Training Ship, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our sympathy and support go out to their families,” President Sheinbaum said in a post on X early Sunday.
President Sheinbaum added that the Mexican Navy is providing support to those injured in the incident, and that the Mexican ambassador to the United States and the Mexican Consulate General were assisting the navy.
New York Fire Department divers prepare to dive the East River after a masted Mexican Navy training ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York. Yuki Iwamura/AP
Investigation underway: New York Police Department Chief Wilson Aramboles stated at a Saturday news conference that the ship appeared to lose power around 8:20 p.m. while the captain was maneuvering the vessel, causing it to drift towards the bridge’s pillar and resulting in the ship’s mast striking the bridge.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently conducting an investigation into the incident.
Mexican authorities described the Cuauhtémoc as a steel-hulled three-masted barque approximately 300 feet in length and roughly 160 feet in height, according to a 2024 news release from one of its training cruises.
Government documents indicate that the Brooklyn Bridge has a navigational clearance of 127 feet, approximately 30 feet shorter than the sailing ship’s height.
There was no visible damage to the Brooklyn Bridge, which appeared to remain structurally intact.
“While inspections will remain ongoing, there are no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge,” the NY Department of Transportation said in a post on X.
Traffic was temporarily halted in both directions for about 40 minutes as emergency services responded to the scene. Mayor Adams later stated that it was reopened following a preliminary inspection.
According to the law enforcement official, the ship has been moved to Manhattan’s Pier 36, located along the East River less than a mile from the Brooklyn Bridge.
This screengrab taken from a video appears to show people hanging from the mast of the Mexican Navy training ship shortly after it struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, on Saturday, May 18, 2025. More than a dozen people were injured, and while no one is reported missing, two people died, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Flavio Morerira
What do we know about the ship? The Cuauhtémoc is a training sailing vessel of the Mexican Navy and is described by officials as a diplomatic symbol of Mexico abroad.
Known as the “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,” the ship was in New York as part of a global goodwill tour and was en route to Iceland at the time of the incident.
A spokesperson for the New York City-area Sail4th 250 events told CNN that the Cuauhtémoc ship had “welcomed dignitaries and media” as part of its New York stop on its global tour.
The sailing ship was expected to participate in the parade of international tall ships to celebrate the United States’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026 – an event being called “the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world.”
Built in Spain in 1981, the ship was acquired by the Mexican Navy to train cadets and officers. It regularly participates in major regattas worldwide. According to a news release from one of its global cruises, it was used for training by the Heroic Naval Military School, an elite military academy in Mexico.
As of last year, the ship had visited 212 ports in 64 countries and sailed 756,085 nautical miles, a distance equivalent to making 35 trips around the world, the release stated.
