Mexican Navy training ship slams into New York’s Brooklyn Bridge; 22 injured, 3 critically

A Mexican Navy training ship slams into the Brooklyn Bridge, snapping all three of its masts as it collided with the iconic New York City landmark, injuring at least 22 people.

Onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror as the ship, its sails furled and festive lights draped in its rigging, tried to pass beneath the bridge, which sheared off the masts and sent them crashing into the East River.

The Mexican Navy says in a statement that 22 people on board the training ship were injured, three of them critically.

Some US media reports suggest that sailors had been in the rigging as the ship slammed into the bridge. The Navy says in its statement that no one had fallen into the water, and that no rescue operation had been launched.

Victims were rushed to local hospitals, The New York Post reports.

According to multiple US media reports, around 200 people were on the Cuauhtemoc, a barque built in 1982 which had a mast height of 48.2 meters (158 feet), at the time.

The Cuauhtemoc had been on a training maneuver at the time and was damaged in the “mishap,” the Mexican Navy says in a separate statement on X.

“The Ministry of the Navy reaffirms its commitment to the safety of its personnel, transparency in its operations and excellence in the training of future officers of the Mexican Navy,” it says.

BREAKING: A Mexican Navy sailboat crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday evening, according to the New York Police Department and the Mexican Navy.

The crash resulted in multiple injuries being reported, the NYPD said. https://t.co/eWusWKXA4g pic.twitter.com/4d21FrYfVl

— ABC News (@ABC) May 18, 2025