Mexican navy sailing ship hits NY's Brooklyn Bridge, killing 2 crew members

A Mexican navy training sailboat on a goodwill tour drifted directly into the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge on the night of May 17, smashing its masts and rigging and killing two crew members.

- Adeel Hassan

NEW YORK - A Mexican navy training sailboat on a goodwill tour drifted directly into the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge on the night of May 17, smashing its masts and rigging and killing two crew members.

There were 277 people on the Cuauhtemoc at the time, and everyone is believed to be accounted for, a New York Fire Department official said.

Mayor Eric Adams said in a social media post after midnight that two people died, and that the ship lost power before the crash. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on social media that the victims were crew members.

The Mexican navy said at least 22 others were injured, including 11 who were in critical condition and nine in stable condition.

The ship was docked at Pier 17 in Manhattan, just below the Brooklyn Bridge.

On the night of May 17, it was supposed to head south and sail out of New York harbor, with a stop on the Brooklyn waterfront to refuel before heading to Iceland.

Instead, at about 8:30 pm (8:30 am in Singapore on May 18), the Cuauhtemoc was apparently headed in the wrong direction, never intending to sail under the bridge, said a spokesperson for the city's Office of Emergency Management.

In videos showing the crash, a tugboat could be seen near the Cuauhtemoc, which appeared to be moving backward, stern first, when it crashed.