Mexican tall ship strikes Brooklyn Bridge, snapping masts and injuring sailors

NEW YORK AP A Mexican navy sailing ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday during a promotional tour in New York City the top of its three masts slamming into the iconic span and partially collapsing as the boat floated in the East River New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed people were injured in the crash four seriously but the -year-old bridge was spared major damage The cause of the collision was under inspection In a scene captured in multiple eyewitness videos the masts could be seen snapping and partially collapsing as they crashed into the deck of the bridge Videos proved heavy traffic on the span at the time of the collision The vessel which was flying a giant green white and red Mexican flag then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore Sailors could be seen aloft in the rigging on the damaged masts Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz stated The Associated Press they were sitting outside to watch the sunset when they saw the vessel strike the bridge and one of its masts snap Looking closer they saw someone dangling from high on the ship We saw someone dangling and I couldn t tell if it was just blurry or my eyes and we were able to zoom in on our phone and there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like minutes before they were able to rescue them Katz noted A masted Mexican Navy training ship the Cuauht moc sits stranded after colliding with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday May AP Photo Kyle Viterbo They explained they saw two people removed from the ship on stretchers onto smaller boats The Mexican navy explained in a post on the social platform X that the Cuauhtemoc an academy training vessel was damaged in an accident with the Brooklyn Bridge that prevented it from continuing its voyage It added that the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local personnel which were providing assistance The Foreign Affairs Ministry explained on X that its ambassador to the U S and personnel from the Mexican consulate in New York were in contact with local agents to provide assistance to the affected cadets but it did not mention injuries A Mexican navy ship sits in the water after it hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday May in New York AP Photo Kyle Viterbo The Brooklyn Bridge which opened in has a nearly -foot main span supported by two masonry towers More than vehicles and an estimated pedestrians cross every day according to the city s transportation department and its walkway is a major tourist attraction The Cuauhtemoc about feet long and feet wide according to the Mexican navy sailed for the first time in Related Articles Explosion outside California fertility clinic that killed was act of terrorism This day in History May Supreme Court strikes down school segregation World Pride comes to Washington in the shadow of and in defiance of the Trump administration Severe weather leaves at least dead including in storm-battered Kentucky Mary Tyler Moore s personal collection up for auction Each year it sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets training This year it left the Mexican port of Acapulco on the Pacific coast on April with people onboard the navy explained then The Mexican consulate disclosed May on X that the Cuauhtemoc also called the Ambassador and Knight of the Seas arrived that day and docked at pier It invited people to visit through May The ship was scheduled to visit ports in nations including Kingston Jamaica Havana Cuba Cozumel Mexico and New York It also had planned to go to Reykjavik Iceland Bordeaux Saint Malo and Dunkirk France and Aberdeen Scotland among others for a total of days of them at sea