VIDEO: Mexican navy ship strikes New York's Brooklyn Bridge, people seen hanging on to masts

A Mexican navy ship about to leave New York for a goodwill tour to Iceland struck the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, snapping its three masts, injuring crew members, and leaving some dangling from harnesses high in the air waiting for help. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at least 19 people needed medical treatment after the incident, including four with serious injuries, but the 142-year-old bridge was spared significant damage.

Over 270 people aboard
In scenes captured in multiple videos, the ship, called the Cuauhtemoc, could be seen traveling swiftly towards the bridge near the Brooklyn side of the East River. Then, its three masts hit the bridge’s main span and snapped, one by one, as the ship kept moving.
The vessel, which was flying a giant Mexican flag and had 277 people on board, then drifted toward the piers lining the riverbank as onlookers scrambled away. Sailors could be seen aloft in the rigging on the damaged masts but no one fell into the water, officials said.

Nearly two dozens injured
The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc was an academy training vessel. It said a total of 22 people were injured, 19 of whom needed medical treatment.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry said on the online platform that its ambassador to the US and officials from the Mexican consulate in New York were in contact with local authorities to provide assistance.

Just watched the Brooklyn Bridge get smoked live by a boat with a massive Mexican flag pic.twitter.com/R8eJKwJaJ2

— Nelson Slinkard (@TheWillieNelson) May 18, 2025

Vessel left Mexico last month
The Cuauhtemoc — about 297 feet long and 40 feet wide — sailed for the first time in 1982. The vessel’s main mast has a height of 160 feet, according to Mexican authorities. Each year, the ship sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training. This year, it had left the Mexican port of Acapulco on April 6.

Iconic NY bridge
New York's iconic Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a nearly 1,600-foot main span supported by two masonry towers. More than 1,00,000 vehicles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross every day, according to the city’s transportation department, and its walkway is a major tourist attraction.

(With inputs from AP/PTI)