The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Sunday that it was deploying a “go-team” to the Brooklyn Bridge following a collision involving a Mexican navy sailing ship that resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals onboard.
The U.S. government agency, responsible for probing significant transportation incidents, initially refrained from disclosing further details regarding the “go-team” assigned to Saturday’s bridge collision, but assured that updates would be provided soon.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams reported that the Mexican navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc “lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge,” with his last update on the incident occurring around midnight.
“At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” the mayor wrote on X at 12:18 a.m.
Sailors could be seen aloft in the rigging on the damaged masts but, remarkably, no one fell into the water, officials said.
The Cuauhtémoc – about 297 feet long and 40 feet wide, according to the Mexican navy – sailed for the first time in 1982. The vessel’s main mast has a height of 160 feet, according to the Mexican government. Each year, the Cuauhtémoc sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training. This year, it left the Mexican port of Acapulco on the Pacific coast on April 6, according to the Mexican navy.
It arrived in New York City on May 13, when visitors were welcome for several days, the Mexican consulate said. The ship was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 nations over 254 days, 170 of them at sea.
The Mexican navy sailing ship that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge sits moored in Lower Manhattan on May 18, 2025, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
It was unclear what caused the ship to veer off course. New York Police Department Special Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles said the ship had just left a Manhattan pier and was supposed to have been headed out to sea, not toward the bridge.
He said an initial report was that the pilot of the ship had lost power due to a mechanical problem, though officials cautioned that information was preliminary. Videos show a tugboat that was close to the Cuauhtémoc at the time of the crash.
The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a nearly 1,600-foot main span supported by two masonry towers. More than 100,000 vehicles and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross every day, according to the city’s transportation department. Its walkway is a major tourist attraction.
Traffic was halted after the collision but was allowed to resume after an inspection, city officials said.
As midnight approached, the broken boat was moved slowly up the East River, going under and past the Manhattan Bridge, aided by a series of tugboats, before docking at a pier.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
