A Mexican navy tall ship on a goodwill visit to New York slammed into Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday evening, destroying the ship’s masts and leaving at least two people dead and over a dozen injured.
The Cuauhtémoc, with a crew of nearly 300 cadets, appears to have lost power as it was sailing out of New York on its way to Iceland. The current then carried the stricken ship towards the road deck of the Brooklyn Bridge, which it collided with at around 8.30pm local time.
Shocking footage posted on social media showed the moment the ship hit the bridge, causing its two tall masts to shear off and crash down onto the deck below.
“The boat was coming under the bridge, and there were sailors on top of the boat, the sails hit the bridge and then people were falling off of the boat sails,” said Elijah West, who witnessed the collision from a nearby park.
“It was crazy. We were standing under the bridge and we all started running. Then I saw people hanging from the sails. Police boats came around fast—about five minutes later. And then police guided the boat to the (Manhattan) bridge and started the rescue. It was a shock.”
First responders were on the scene within minutes and searched the waters for crew members after reports some had fallen in.
A former US navy captain called the incident “inconceivable.”
“I’m dumbfounded,” Retired navy Capt. Alfred S. McClaren said.
“It could lose power and drift. So the question is just how fast were they going. But why didn’t they use a rudder one way or another? One of the first things I would have done is drop my anchor or anchors.”
Officials have yet to release the names of the crew members who died. Injured crew members in critical conditions were taken to nearby hospitals.
The bridge sustained minor damage and is now open again to the public.
The ship, which was built in Spain in 1982 for training cadets, was in New York as part of a promotion for next year’s Sail4th tall ship event, in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.