Shocking videos have emerged from the moments after a Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, showing at least a dozen sailors hanging from the broken 150-foot mast.
At least two people are dead, two are in critical condition, and 19 were injured.
The sailors were on the Cuauhtémoc’s mast as part of a traditional ceremonial greeting when entering a port. This practice, known as “manning the yards,” is practiced by sailors worldwide.
Multiple videos that zoomed in during and after the crash show sailors clinging to the broken mast.
There’s people just hanging from the broken mast! pic.twitter.com/A75q1dPxCB
— Derek Fuhrmann (@spudman40) May 18, 2025
Why in the world were people up there?? They’re literally hanging from the mast
Surely they knew it was gonna hit the bridge. https://t.co/KXhQhltuLb pic.twitter.com/2zl8PyUit7— We Have It All (@WeAreWoke1776_3) May 18, 2025
Wild!! They’re hanging from the mast!! pic.twitter.com/Xm9s3XMVTf
— We Have It All (@WeAreWoke1776_3) May 18, 2025
BREAKING – MEXICAN NAVEL VESSEL
Sailors can be seen hanging and dangling from the collapsed mast several hundred feet in the air after hitting the Brooklyn Bridge
— The Salty Chef (@TheSaltyChef007) May 18, 2025
Following the crash, a search and rescue operation was immediately launched in the East River.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference about the incident that 277 people were on board the vessel.
“No one fell into the water, they were all hurt inside the ship,” NYPD Special Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles said. “The ship, from what I was informed by the supervisors of the ship, it was disembarking and going to Iceland.”
Aramboles added that there may have been mechanical issues.
“I guess it was, the pilot that is assigned to navigate, you know, the boat out of the water, I believe there was some mechanical issues that probably caused the ship to hit the water,” Aramboles said.
Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.
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. pic.twitter.com/mlaCX0X8Mh
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) May 18, 2025
Mayor Adams said that the ship had lost power before the collision.
