What caused the fatal collision of the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtémoc with the Brooklyn Bridge?
Shreeaa Rathi | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | May 19, 2025, 18:24 IST
( Image credit : NYT News Service, TOIGLOBAL )
A stunning maritime incident unfolded when the Mexican Navy's Cuauhtemoc collided with the Brooklyn Bridge shortly after leaving Pier 17 in New York City. The unfortunate crash claimed the lives of two dedicated crew members, while numerous others suffered injuries.
On Saturday around 8:20 p.m., the Mexican Navy training ship Cuauhtémoc struck the bottom of the Brooklyn Bridge after departing Pier 17 in New York City, resulting in the deaths of two crew members and injuries to over a dozen others. The ship, on a global goodwill tour and en route to Iceland, experienced a mechanical malfunction, losing steering control as it navigated out of the harbor. Investigations are underway by multiple agencies, including the NTSB, to determine the exact cause of the incident, with scrutiny focusing on potential mechanical failures and the role of river currents.
The incident occurred just before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, as onlookers were enjoying a sunny day in Brooklyn. The Cuauhtémoc had been docked at the South Street Seaport Museum for five days, allowing public viewing.
Eyewitness Flavio Moreira told CNN, “We could see some people being kind of dragged. 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.”
The allision occurred approximately 16 months after a similar incident in Baltimore involving the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Mayor Eric Adams said he was praying for all 277 passengers on board and thanked the first responders. Most crew members were expected to return to Mexico on Sunday night.
Authorities began responding to the scene around 8:26 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls. At least two of the injured were listed as critical, according to Adams. The Mexican Navy reported a total of 22 people injured, with 19 taken to hospitals.
A preliminary investigation involving the NYPD’s Special Operations Division, the Fire Department of New York, the US Coast Guard, and the New York City Department of Transportation indicated a mechanical malfunction. A senior city official told CNN that the boat was moving in the “wrong direction.”
The ship was scheduled to stop at a Bay Ridge fueling dock before heading to Iceland.
According to the senior official, the captain reported losing steering after the rudder stopped working. “They had some sort of mechanical issue, they lost power so without being able to use the rudder, they could not steer,” the official said, while cautioning that all information is preliminary.
More than 100 fire and emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene. The Brooklyn Bridge was temporarily closed in both directions for about 40 minutes after the incident but appeared structurally intact.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent a “go-team” to New York to investigate. The team includes experts in nautical operations, marine and bridge engineering, and survival factors.
A voyage data recorder is expected to provide crucial information about the incident. Mary Schiavo, CNN transportation analyst and former US Department of Transportation inspector general, said the data recorder will likely provide information about the ship’s mechanics, including any “control input” and when power may have been lost, as well as information about the river's depth and currents.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation into whether budget cuts and program cancellations by the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency contributed to the accident.
“I have the general sense of a DOGE dysfunction in parts of the Coast Guard,” Schumer said at a news conference on the federal budget. “We know that there has been meddling by the Trump administration into the Coast Guard staffing, and now we need to know how this meddling might have impacted the events of last night, from a command, communication and local coordination level.”
“To put it mildly, after being fully briefed on last night’s Brooklyn Bridge accident, one thing is very clear. There are many more questions than answers as to how the accident occurred and whether it could have been prevented,” Schumer said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the deaths of a cadet and a sailor. The governor of Veracruz state identified one of the victims as cadet América Yamilet Sánchez. The local city council of San Mateo del Mar, in Oaxaca state, identified the second victim as Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos.
Gov. Rocío Nahle said she “deeply” laments the passing of Sánchez.
The city council said they lamented the passing of the sailor and expressed their “heartfelt condolences to his family and other loved ones.”
Family and friends gathered at Sánchez’s home in Xalapa to honor the 21-year-old naval cadet.
Gael de la Cruz, a relative of Sánchez, told Reuters, “It’s impossible for something so serious to not be thoroughly investigated. What happened there is illogical. There must be someone responsible.”
Sánchez’s mother, Rocio Hernandez, told Reuters she is in communication with US authorities regarding the repatriation of her daughter’s body.
“The US coroner already told me that yes, everything is ready … and I’m waiting for that,” she said.
Mexican President Sheinbaum sent her condolences to families of the two crew members killed, saying she was deeply saddened by the losses.
“Our sympathy and support go out to their families,” Sheinbaum said in a post on X early Sunday.
Sheinbaum said the Mexican Navy is supporting those injured in the incident, and that the Mexican ambassador to the United States and Mexican Consulate General were supporting the navy.
“We are monitoring the situation, and the Secretary of the Navy will continue to provide updates,” she added.
The Cuauhtémoc, known as the “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,” is a training sailing ship of the Mexican Navy and a diplomatic symbol of Mexico abroad. It was built in Spain in 1981 and acquired by the Mexican Navy to train cadets and officers.
Named after the last Aztec emperor, who was executed by the Spanish conquerors in 1525, it regularly takes part in major regattas around the world.
The sailing ship was used for training by the Heroic Naval Military School, an elite military academy in Mexico. The ship had visited 212 ports in 64 countries with 756,085 nautical miles sailed, equivalent to making 35 trips around the world. It was on its yearly training tour for the graduating class of 2025.
The incident occurred just before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, as onlookers were enjoying a sunny day in Brooklyn. The Cuauhtémoc had been docked at the South Street Seaport Museum for five days, allowing public viewing.
Eyewitness Flavio Moreira told CNN, “We could see some people being kind of dragged. 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.”
The allision occurred approximately 16 months after a similar incident in Baltimore involving the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Mayor Eric Adams said he was praying for all 277 passengers on board and thanked the first responders. Most crew members were expected to return to Mexico on Sunday night.
Authorities began responding to the scene around 8:26 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls. At least two of the injured were listed as critical, according to Adams. The Mexican Navy reported a total of 22 people injured, with 19 taken to hospitals.
A preliminary investigation involving the NYPD’s Special Operations Division, the Fire Department of New York, the US Coast Guard, and the New York City Department of Transportation indicated a mechanical malfunction. A senior city official told CNN that the boat was moving in the “wrong direction.”
The ship was scheduled to stop at a Bay Ridge fueling dock before heading to Iceland.
According to the senior official, the captain reported losing steering after the rudder stopped working. “They had some sort of mechanical issue, they lost power so without being able to use the rudder, they could not steer,” the official said, while cautioning that all information is preliminary.
More than 100 fire and emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene. The Brooklyn Bridge was temporarily closed in both directions for about 40 minutes after the incident but appeared structurally intact.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent a “go-team” to New York to investigate. The team includes experts in nautical operations, marine and bridge engineering, and survival factors.
A voyage data recorder is expected to provide crucial information about the incident. Mary Schiavo, CNN transportation analyst and former US Department of Transportation inspector general, said the data recorder will likely provide information about the ship’s mechanics, including any “control input” and when power may have been lost, as well as information about the river's depth and currents.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation into whether budget cuts and program cancellations by the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency contributed to the accident.
“I have the general sense of a DOGE dysfunction in parts of the Coast Guard,” Schumer said at a news conference on the federal budget. “We know that there has been meddling by the Trump administration into the Coast Guard staffing, and now we need to know how this meddling might have impacted the events of last night, from a command, communication and local coordination level.”
“To put it mildly, after being fully briefed on last night’s Brooklyn Bridge accident, one thing is very clear. There are many more questions than answers as to how the accident occurred and whether it could have been prevented,” Schumer said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the deaths of a cadet and a sailor. The governor of Veracruz state identified one of the victims as cadet América Yamilet Sánchez. The local city council of San Mateo del Mar, in Oaxaca state, identified the second victim as Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos.
Gov. Rocío Nahle said she “deeply” laments the passing of Sánchez.
The city council said they lamented the passing of the sailor and expressed their “heartfelt condolences to his family and other loved ones.”
Family and friends gathered at Sánchez’s home in Xalapa to honor the 21-year-old naval cadet.
Gael de la Cruz, a relative of Sánchez, told Reuters, “It’s impossible for something so serious to not be thoroughly investigated. What happened there is illogical. There must be someone responsible.”
Sánchez’s mother, Rocio Hernandez, told Reuters she is in communication with US authorities regarding the repatriation of her daughter’s body.
“The US coroner already told me that yes, everything is ready … and I’m waiting for that,” she said.
Mexican President Sheinbaum sent her condolences to families of the two crew members killed, saying she was deeply saddened by the losses.
“Our sympathy and support go out to their families,” Sheinbaum said in a post on X early Sunday.
Sheinbaum said the Mexican Navy is supporting those injured in the incident, and that the Mexican ambassador to the United States and Mexican Consulate General were supporting the navy.
“We are monitoring the situation, and the Secretary of the Navy will continue to provide updates,” she added.
The Cuauhtémoc, known as the “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,” is a training sailing ship of the Mexican Navy and a diplomatic symbol of Mexico abroad. It was built in Spain in 1981 and acquired by the Mexican Navy to train cadets and officers.
Named after the last Aztec emperor, who was executed by the Spanish conquerors in 1525, it regularly takes part in major regattas around the world.
The sailing ship was used for training by the Heroic Naval Military School, an elite military academy in Mexico. The ship had visited 212 ports in 64 countries with 756,085 nautical miles sailed, equivalent to making 35 trips around the world. It was on its yearly training tour for the graduating class of 2025.