A historic Mexican naval training ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Saturday night, resulting in 19 injuries, with four individuals suffering serious injuries, as reported by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Additional people were undergoing evaluations, and divers were conducting water inspections at the scene as a precautionary measure, according to three police sources familiar with the situation.
Mayor Adams stated during a Saturday night press conference that the tall ship, carrying 277 individuals, experienced a mechanical failure that caused it to crash into the bridge as it was departing from Pier 17 towards the sea.
“The pilot lost power of the ship,” he said, adding that two crew members were on a mast and were injured in the collision.
Chief Wilson Aramboles of the New York Police Department’s Special Operations Division said the collision happened about 8:20 p.m.
Inspectors were immediately dispatched to assess the condition of the bridge, the police sources said. New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the head of bridge division was at the scene, with a preliminary assessment concluding there were no signs of major damage.
ams said the bridge was open.
No one fell into the water, officials said at the news conference. The ship was ultimately headed to Iceland, Aramboles said.
Video from the scene showed two masts from the ship, lit up in incandescent colors as night fell, striking the bridge, with people on the mast hanging on.
Witnesses interviewed by NBC New York said the boat, which at least one said was no stranger to the East River and local waters, appeared to have a party-like atmosphere with music.
On shore after the collision, paramedics were seen wheeling away some of the injured on stretchers, some wearing neck braces. Onlookers could be heard chanting, “Mexico! Mexico!”
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, a Mexican ambassador to the U.S., at the news conference identified the ship as ARM Cuauhtémoc, a historic Mexican Navy training vessel.
Though it’s listed as a sailing ambassador for Mexico for next year’s Sail4th 250 celebrations, a spokesperson for the event said in a statement Saturday night that the “Mexican Tall Ship Cuauhtémoc is not one of the ships committed thus far to participate in next year’s Sail4th 250 event.”
The spokesperson continued, “Chris O’Brien, President of Sail4th 250, is deeply saddened by what he’s learning about this evening’s collision and is following the news with the injured sailors in his prayers.”
The city’s Seaport Museum on Pier 17 hosted the ship through Saturday, with public viewing scheduled during its five-day stay.
The New York City-area Sail4th 250 events will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, with what is being billed as the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world.
The UK nonprofit Sail Training International describes the vessel a being built in Bilbao, Spain, in 1981 and originally called “Celaya.”
“She was later acquired by the Mexican Navy as a training vessel for officers, cadets, petty officers and sailors,” according to the group. “Cuauhtemoc sailed the world for thirteen years and in 1995 underwent a major refit of the ship and rigging.”
The New York Police Department said it was investigating the incident. Officials at the news conference said the National Transportation Safety Board would also probe the cause of the collision.
Police asked people to stay away from the area of the bridge and nearby streets.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Dennis Romero contributed.
