Two Dead After Mexican Navy Ship Crashes into Brooklyn Bridge – Full Investigation Underway
A Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend. As time has passed, we are getting a better understanding of what happened. The crash was all over social media over the weekend as videos from several different angles started to spread. People in the videos are heard in shock reacting to the scene as it unfolded in front of them.
A Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend
Two sailors died when the Mexican Navy ship Armada de la República Mexicana (ARM) Cuauhtémoc crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday. More than 20 other sailors were injured by the accident that terrified onlookers. Eleven sailors are in critical condition. The ship’s three masts crashed into the bridge one at a time causing a domino effect. Sailors were harnessed to the masts when the collision occurred.
The National Transportation Safety Board and Mexican officials started an investigation into the crash on Sunday. There are a lot of questions surrounding what exactly led to the catastrophe ranging from mechanical issues, a tugboat, and environmental factors. It was never the intention of the Cuauhtémoc to pass under the Brooklyn Bridge.
The two sailors who died are América Yamileth Sánchez Hernández, 20, from the state of Veracruz, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, 23, from the state of Oaxaca. The tragedy has stunned people around the world. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the identities and acknowledged the nation’s grief on Sunday.
The ship, built in 1982, is named after the last Aztec Emperor and was set to spend 254 days sailing around the world. The schedule included stops at 22 ports in 15 countries including the United States, Cuba, France, Jamaica, and Iceland.
The goodwill mission, called the Consolidation of the Independence of Mexico 2025 started on April 6.
The ship is a training vessel on a goodwill mission around the world
ARM Cuauhtémoc was sailing around the world with 277 sailors onboard. According to multiple reports, the ship was leaving New York City and heading to Iceland when it pulled away from Pier 17. According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, no one fell into the water during the crash. The Brooklyn Bridge did not experience structural damage and is fully operational.
“To put it mildly, after being fully briefed on last night’s Brooklyn Bridge accident, one thing is very clear: There are many more questions than answers as to how the accident occurred and whether it could have been prevented,” Senator Chuck Schumer told the media at a press conference on Sunday, according to The New York Times.
One factor might have been the weather and sailing conditions. According to the Associated Press, the tide was moving into the harbor, and Westerly winds reached 10 knots. The current and the wind might have moved the ship to crash into the Brooklyn Bridge.
Additionally, it has been reported that shortly after the tugboat pushed the ship out, the ship lost power. Some are drawing comparisons between the Mexican Navy ship and the cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, last year.
