Mexican Tall Ship Collides With Brooklyn Bridge: 2 Dead, 19 Injured

A Mexican navy training ship, the Cuauhtémoc, collided with the Brooklyn Bridge while en route to New York, resulting in two fatalities and 19 injuries. The incident occurred on May 18, 2025, shortly after the vessel departed from a Manhattan pier, where it encountered a mechanical issue, potentially causing the collision. Among the injured, four sustained serious injuries, two of whom later died.

Viral video footage captured the dramatic moment when one of the ship’s 147-foot masts hit the bridge before crashing down onto the deck. Eyewitnesses reported chaos as crew members dressed in sailor uniforms dangled from the ship’s crossbeams. The New York Police Department indicated that the ship was mistakenly heading toward the bridge instead of out to sea.

Emergency services responded swiftly, executing a search and rescue operation for those in the water, and some critically injured victims were transported to local hospitals. All lanes of the bridge were briefly closed but later reopened during the evening. The Cuauhtémoc, constructed in Spain in 1982, was expected to play a significant role in an upcoming event celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

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