NEW YORK, NY - In a tragic incident late Friday night, a Mexican Navy training vessel carrying naval cadets collided with the iconic Brooklyn Bridge while departing New York City. The collision resulted in the snapping of all three of the ship's masts and has tragically claimed the lives of two individuals, with at least 22 others reported injured, according to reports from CBS News and other international media outlets on Saturday.
The accident occurred at approximately 8:30 PM local time as the ARM Cuauhtemoc, a tall ship utilized primarily for training cadets from the Mexican Naval Academy, was navigating the East River after concluding a goodwill visit to New York. The vessel, measuring 90.5 meters in length with a beam of 12 meters and a main mast reaching a height of 48.9 meters, reportedly struck the central section of the bridge while moving at a significant speed. Witnesses at the scene described the ship proceeding towards the Brooklyn Bridge before the forceful impact that caused the masts to break. At the time of the collision, traffic on the bridge was reportedly moderately heavy.
Immediately following the impact, the Cuauhtemoc drifted towards the riverbank. Officials from the City of New York indicated that some crew members were left clinging to safety lines attached to the severed masts, awaiting rescue. One eyewitness, who was photographing the Brooklyn Bridge at the time of the incident, recounted to the Associated Press the chaotic scene onboard, stating, "The people in the boat looked to be in total disarray. It looked like something out of a movie." Another witness described seeing a person dangling from the end of a mast, noting, "I zoomed in with my phone, and it was a person. They were hanging in the air for about 15 minutes until the rescuers came." It is a customary ceremonial procedure for the naval cadets to ascend the masts to salute during port entry and departure.
During a press conference early Saturday morning, New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the two fatalities and reported that two other individuals were in critical condition. One of the deceased is believed to have fallen from one of the ship's broken masts. Earlier, on the night of the accident, the Mexican Navy had reported a total of 22 injuries among the 277 personnel on board. Authorities confirmed that no one fell into the water, and all injuries were sustained while on the vessel.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) has indicated that the preliminary assessment suggests the accident may have occurred due to a malfunction on the ship, rendering the helmsman unable to control the vessel. However, a comprehensive investigation into the precise cause of the collision is currently underway. The Cuauhtemoc serves as a crucial training platform for graduating cadets of the Mexican Naval Academy. These students embark on global voyages prior to their commissioning as naval officers, gaining practical experience in ship operation, navigation, and international relations. The current voyage commenced on May 6th in Acapulco, Mexico, and included stops in Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; and Cozumel, Mexico, before arriving in New York. The planned 254-day itinerary encompasses visits to 22 ports across 15 countries.
In the aftermath of the collision, tugboats secured the Cuauhtemoc in the waterway between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The Brooklyn Bridge underwent an immediate safety inspection and has since been reopened to traffic. The investigation into this unfortunate incident is expected to continue in the coming days to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the fatal collision.
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