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No Bueno: A Mexican Navy Ship Crashed Into the Brooklyn Bridge Tonight

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  May 17, 2025 11:30 PM

This incident was a slow-moving disaster, leaving multiple injured deckhands behind. A ship from the Mexican Navy, Cuauhtémoc, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge. Onlookers captured the accident as mast after mast broke off when the vessel couldn’t clear the historic landmark. Sailors at the top of the masts were caught clinging for their lives (via NBC New York):

A sailboat struck the base of the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday evening causing multiple injuries, according to the NYPD. 

The crash, which happened just before 8:30 p.m., occurred when the Mexican navy ship Cuauhtémoc hit the bridge during a sailing maneuver on a training cruise, according to a social media post from the Mexican navy. The ship apparently lost steering power and was pulled into the bridge by the river's current, according to an NYPD official. 

At least four people are believed to have critical injuries with about 15 other injuries onboard, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who said a total of 277 people were onboard at the time of the incident. The injured were taken to Bellevue Hospital, the mayor said. 

The most critically injured sailors were up on the mast of the ship at the time it crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, officials said. No one fell into the water, but divers went into the water as a precaution, according to three police officials briefed. 

All lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge were closed in both directions but have since reopened, according to NYC emergency management officials. 

Obviously, something went very wrong regarding the logistics. Who doesn’t know if their ship can clear a bridge or not. 

UPDATE: NYC Mayor Adams says two people have died.