A terrifying maritime disaster unfolded in the heart of New York City on Saturday night when a towering Mexican Navy tall ship slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge, leaving at least 35 people injured, including four in critical condition.
The Cuauhtémoc, a majestic three-mast sail training vessel was carrying hundreds of cadets and crew as it struck the underside of the historic bridge just before 8:30pm during a departure maneuver.
In a matter of seconds, joy turned to chaos as the ship’s 147-foot tall masts snapped like twigs, sending splinters, steel, and rigging crashing down onto the deck below.
In the aftermath, emergency responders raced to the scene, with NYPD Harbor and Scuba teams conducting a frantic search and rescue mission.
Alhough no one was believed to have fallen into the East River, dozens of victims were reported injured on board, with four sailors in critical condition, according to fire officials.
Video from the scene showed horrified onlookers screaming and fleeing as the vessel approached, as part of its enormous masts sheared off one by one with the sickening sound of a crack.
Some spectators watching on land believed the ship might slam into the shoreline.
One of the snapped masts sent two sailors hurtling through the rigging, witnesses said, as others were seen clinging to ropes and beams dozens of feet above the deck.
A terrifying maritime disaster unfolded in the heart of New York City on Saturday night when a towering Mexican Navy tall ship slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge injuring at least 35 people
In a matter of seconds, joy turned to chaos as the ship’s 147-foot tall masts snapped like twigs, sending splinters, steel, and rigging crashing down onto the deck below
The ship was backing out from Pier 17 when the crash occurred and appeared to have lost power, according to Mayor Eric Adams.
The vessel collided squarely with the bridge’s lower structure, which has a maximum clearance of just 135 feet – far below the height of the Cuauhtémoc’s tallest mast.
Despite the dramatic collision, there was no damage detected on the Brooklyn Bridge as of late Saturday night, according to Mayor Adams’ office.
The bridge was briefly closed in both directions before being reopened around 10:30pm.
The Cuauhtémoc’s collision was captured from multiple angles by shocked bystanders, many of whom were filming the grand ship as it attempted to depart.
Sailors can be seen dangling from the masts of the Cuauhtémoc, a Mexican Navy training boat, as it sits in the East River
Dozens of victims were reported injured on board, with four sailors in critical condition, according to fire officials
Following the collision with the bridge, dozens of sailors could be seen still strapped into their harnesses with some left danging from the masts
People look at the Cuauhtémoc, a Mexican Navy training boat, as it sits in the East River after the ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, in New York on Saturday evening
A Mexican navy tall ship, making a festive visit to New York, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge
A disabled Mexican Navy tall ship floats between the Brooklyn and the Manhattan bridges on the East River. The ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge as it was traveling north
Footage shows the ship moving in reverse, slowly approaching the bridge, before the topmost mast makes contact.
Within seconds, one mast crumples and crashes down, followed by another.
Sailors were visible and seen dangling in midair from the rigging, caught between wood, wire, and collapsed masts.
Debris including splintered beams, light fixtures, and canvas rained down on the deck below.
