Mexican navy training ship Cuauhtemoc collides with Brooklyn Bridge

A tall ship belonging to the Mexican navy struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, cracking the boat’s masts, sending them plummeting to the deck below, according to social media videos and police accounts.

Mayor Eric Adams said late Saturday night that of the 277 people on the ship 19 were injured — four seriously.

The NYPD said officers responded to a 911 call around 8:30 p.m. regarding someone in need of assistance at Pier 17, on the Manhattan side of the East River by South Street Seaport.

The masts of the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, which had been docked at the pier, struck the underside of the span’s roadbed. After the vessel, which was flying a giant green, white and red Mexican flag, hit the bridge it drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.

The ship was disembarking at the time of the crash, heading to Iceland.

The NYPD’s Special Operations Harbor Unit aided with the rescue effort.

Police said a preliminary investigation indicated a mechanical failure caused the crash, but NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct a complete investigation.

The bridge, which was closed after the crash, was reopened later in the night, according to City Department of Transportation commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

"There was not any major damage to the Brooklyn Bridge," he said.

The NYPD has advised on social media that drivers should avoid the Brooklyn Bridge due to "a collision investigation" and a large emergency response.

The three-masted Cuauhtemoc is on a promotional tour in New York City.

The Mexican navy said in a post on the social media platform X the sailing ship was damaged in an accident with the bridge that prevented it from continuing its voyage.

It added the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.

“The Secretary of the Navy renews its commitment to the safety of personnel, transparency in its operations and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Armada,” it said in Spanish. 

The Cuauhtemoc's masts are 147 feet tall. The clearance height of the Brooklyn Bridge is 127 feet on average, but varies depending on the tide.

The ship — about 297 feet long and 40 feet wide, according to the Mexican navy — sailed for the first time in 1982.

With AP