Mexican Navy Ship Hits Brooklyn Bridge; Rescue Ongoing

Photo: AP

A large sailing ship from the Mexican Navy hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, May 17, causing a serious emergency. The tall ship, named ARM Cuauhtémoc, was carrying around 200 people when one of its 147-foot masts struck the bridge just before 9 p.m., according to sources who spoke with the New York Post. A rescue operation is still going on to help people who fell into the water after the crash.

Many people were hurt during the incident, and two of them are in critical condition. The injured are being taken to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and those who need more medical help are being rushed to nearby hospitals.

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Videos of the Crash Spread Online

Shocking videos of the crash are being shared widely on social media. One video shows the tall mast hitting the bridge, while people nearby look on in disbelief. The ship can be seen flying a giant Mexican flag and playing loud music as it sails under the bridge.

"Just watched the Brooklyn Bridge get smoked live by a boat with a massive Mexican flag," one person posted on X, along with a video of the crash. Another post called it a “massive pirate ship” hitting the bridge. One user even wrote, “In an absolutely stunning modern metaphor, a ship blaring Mexican music and flying a massive Mexican flag just got destroyed by the Brooklyn Bridge. Can’t make it up.”

Ship Details and What Went Wrong

The Cuauhtémoc is a tall training ship owned by the Mexican Navy. It was built in Spain in 1982 and is usually used to train cadets. It’s not yet clear why the ship was sailing down the East River on Saturday night. Officials are calling the crash a “mass casualty event,” according to a report by The Mirror.

Memories of Baltimore Tragedy

This crash has reminded many people of the Baltimore bridge collapse that happened on March 26 last year. In that tragedy, a huge cargo ship named Dali hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the entire 1.6-mile bridge to fall into the river. Six workers who were fixing the road at the time lost their lives. Authorities in Maryland have said they plan to rebuild that bridge by fall 2028.

As of now, emergency teams are still helping the people who were on board the Cuauhtémoc. More updates are expected soon as the investigation continues.