On Saturday evening, the Mexican navy’s tall ship Cuauhtémoc struck the Brooklyn Bridge while in reverse on the East River, snapping all three of its masts and resulting in the deaths of two crew members. The vessel, which was on a global goodwill tour with 277 people aboard, also left at least 19 injured—four seriously, two of whom later died, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Dramatic footage shows the 297-foot vessel sailing backward into the bridge around 8:20 p.m., with its towering masts hitting the bridge and breaking one by one. Some sailors, still strapped into rigging harnesses, dangled from the damaged masts for as long as 15 minutes before being rescued. No injuries were reported on the bridge, which remained structurally sound and reopened to traffic following an inspection.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic. “Pandemonium erupted aboard the ship,” said Nick Corso, a bystander who captured video of the collision. Others watched in horror as sailors clung to the rigging.

The Mexican navy confirmed that Cuauhtémoc is an academy training vessel and was carrying out a planned international voyage. It had recently left a Manhattan pier and was meant to head to sea. Officials said preliminary reports indicate a mechanical failure may have caused the ship to lose power and veer off course. A tugboat was nearby at the time of the crash.

Built in 1982, Cuauhtémoc serves as a floating classroom for naval cadets and had just arrived in New York on May 13 as part of a tour visiting 22 ports across 15 countries. The ship, flying a large Mexican flag, had hosted visitors in the city days before the accident.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences, saying: “Our solidarity and support go out to their families.”

The incident is under investigation.

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