Mexican ship hits Brooklyn Bridge, at least 22 injured

(Patria) - At least 22 people were injured, and three are in serious condition after the Mexican Navy sailing ship Cuauhtemoc collided with the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Footage circulating on social media shows the moment the ship's tall masts got caught on the bridge as the vessel passed underneath it. As a result of the impact, parts of the masts fell onto the deck, injuring crew members, some of whom were on the masts themselves at the time.

The ship carried more than 200 people and arrived in New York as part of a goodwill visit. According to local media reports, the ship reportedly lost propulsion shortly before the collision.

🇺🇸🇲🇽 | ÚLTIMA HORA — Suben a 35 los heridos, 16 de ellos graves, tras el choque del buque Cuauhtémoc de la Armada mexicana contra el puente de Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/tVnVWoijxq

— UHN Plus (@UHN_Plus) May 18, 2025

At a press conference, New York Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that no one ended up in the water and that the bridge did not suffer significant damage. The injured were treated in hospitals, and the US Coast Guard announced that all crew members had been located and that the tops of two masts were lost in the collision.

Investigation Underway

The Mexican Navy confirmed that the ship was damaged and that the incident is under investigation. The head of New York Police Department operations stated that the collision is believed to have been caused by a mechanical failure and loss of electrical power, which made it impossible to control the vessel.

The number of seriously injured people still varies – while the Mexican Navy reports three seriously injured, Mayor Adams said there were four.

Witnesses on the shore who were watching the ship pass fled when the masts hit the bridge structure.

About the Ship Cuauhtemoc

According to Mexican Navy data, the Cuauhtemoc is 90.5 meters long and 12 meters wide. It has been in use since 1982 and sails every year as the final part of the naval academy cadets' training.

This year, the ship sailed from the Mexican port of Acapulco on April 6 with 277 people on board. The final destination of the mission was planned to be Iceland.