Cuauhtémoc sailboat collision with the Brooklyn Bridge leaves 23 injured

New York (EFE) – Twenty-three people were injured, four of them critically so, this Saturday afternoon in the accident of the Mexican training ship Cuauhtémoc with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, according to the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, in a statement.

The Cuauhtémoc, the flagship of the Mexican Navy, carrying 277 crew members, collided with the bridge after losing power, breaking all three masts, an image that was recorded by numerous people on their cell phones.

The mayor held a press conference and explained that there were “19 injured and four seriously injured,” out of the total crew on the ship, who had been transported to the local Bellevue Hospital. He clarified that “no one fell into the water,” although emergency divers were deployed.

The mayor was accompanied by the Mexican ambassador, Esteban Moctezuma, who, without commenting on the number of casualties, stated that the injured are receiving “the best treatment” in the hospital. He added that the Secretary of the Navy is now seeking family members to inform them.

Federal transportation authorities are investigating the accident, and preliminary information points to “mechanical problems” with the ship, according to what was disclosed in the appearance.

Emergency services responded to the area with a large deployment of personnel after the accident, which occurred just after 8:00 p.m., when it was still light, and kept the Brooklyn Bridge closed to vehicle traffic for nearly an hour.

During the appearance, a representative from the Mayor’s Office confirmed that “there is no major damage to the bridge.”

According to images recorded by witnesses and shared on social media, the ship’s three masts broke one after the other when it hit the bridge, and the ship moved toward a dock at its base. A group of sailors were also seen standing on the side of the ship.

The Cuauhtémoc, a training ship that first set sail in 1982, arrived in the Big Apple on May 13 on a mission of public diplomacy, naval training, and cultural promotion. Its next destination was Iceland, where it was to embark on a route after disembarking today, authorities reported.

The Mexican Navy indicated in a message on X that the incident occurred during “the departure maneuver” and “caused damage” to the ship, and later confirmed that “no items fell into the water, so rescue operations were not necessary.”

New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat previously indicated on his X account that there was “an in-water rescue operation,” and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, of the New York City Mayor’s Office, said the divers had completed their work, without specifying how.

The Navy, in its latest statement, put the number of wounded at 22, of whom 3 had “serious” injuries.

*As of Monday May 19th, two people have lost their lives from this incident.