Mexican Navy Training Ship ‘Cuauhtémoc’ Strikes Brooklyn Bridge: Two Dead, Multiple Injured in Tragic Collision

New York City, NY – A routine departure turned tragic on the evening of May 17, 2025, when the Mexican Navy sailing training ship ARM “Cuauhtémoc” collided with the historic Brooklyn Bridge. The incident, which occurred as the vessel was leaving New York City, resulted in the deaths of two naval cadets and injuries to numerous other personnel on board.¹ The collision caused significant damage to the tall ship’s masts but left the iconic bridge largely unscathed. Multiple U.S. and Mexican agencies have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident, which preliminary reports attribute to a loss of power on the naval vessel.¹ The event has cast a somber shadow over the ship’s goodwill mission and has drawn attention to the operational complexities of navigating large, traditional sailing vessels in busy modern waterways.

The collision involved a prominent international naval vessel and one of New York City’s most recognizable landmarks, immediately elevating the incident to a matter of significant public and international concern. The presence of a foreign military training ship, coupled with the unfortunate loss of life and the dramatic scenes of the collision, ensured widespread media coverage and a swift, multi-agency response.

Table 1: Incident Summary – Key Facts

The Incident Unfolds: A Chronological Account

The ARM “Cuauhtémoc” had been docked at Pier 17 in South Street Seaport from May 13 to May 17, 2025, as part of a scheduled visit.¹ The collision occurred as the vessel was commencing its departure, with plans to head out to sea.¹

According to a timeline provided by officials, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the sequence of events began at approximately 8:20 PM EDT when the “Cuauhtémoc” started to move away from Pier 17, initially assisted by a single tugboat while reversing into the East River.¹ However, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Reports indicate that the ship experienced a loss of power or a mechanical failure, rendering it unable to maneuver effectively against the river’s currents and a northeast wind.¹ This loss of control caused the vessel to travel backward, or in the wrong direction, directly towards the nearby Brooklyn Bridge.¹ New York Police Department (NYPD) Special Operations Chief Wilson Aramboles later confirmed that the ship, which intended to proceed to sea, ended up moving towards the bridge instead.¹ Eyewitness accounts and video footage show the ship moving quickly in reverse just moments before impact.¹

At 8:24 PM, a request for assistance from other tugboats was made, signaling an escalating problem aboard the “Cuauhtémoc”.³ This call for additional support, coming after the initial departure with a single tug, suggests an awareness of the developing critical situation due to the loss of maneuverability. Within approximately 45 seconds of this call, around 8:24:45 PM (though some sources state approximately 8:26 PM), the ship’s masts struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge.¹ The vessel’s listed height of 44.81 meters (147.0 ft) significantly exceeded the Brooklyn Bridge’s vertical clearance of approximately 38.2 to 39 meters (127 ft), making a collision inevitable once the ship was on an uncontrolled trajectory towards the span.¹

Videos of the event show the ship’s three towering masts impacting the bridge structure sequentially, at around the height of the topgallant sails, and then breaking off or collapsing.¹ After the initial impact, the ship reportedly continued to drift and scrape along the waterfront revetment.¹ The vessel came to a stop by 8:27 PM, and by 8:30 PM, assets from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and the NYPD were on the scene to commence emergency operations.³ The convergence of factors – a large sailing vessel moving astern, a sudden loss of power in a constrained waterway with notable currents, and the unavoidable height incompatibility with the bridge – created a perilous situation with little margin for error, culminating in the tragic collision.

Table 2: Timeline of the Collision Event (May 17, 2025)

Casualties and Damage Assessment

The collision had devastating human consequences. Two crew members aboard the “Cuauhtémoc” were killed.¹ The Mexican Navy later identified the deceased as 20-year-old cadet América Yamilet Sánchez from Veracruz state, and cadet Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos from Oaxaca state.¹ Media reports indicated that the fatalities occurred when these individuals fell from high up on the masts during the violent impact with the bridge.²

Numerous other crew members sustained injuries. While figures vary slightly across reports, it is confirmed that at least 17 individuals were injured, with some sources citing up to 25 casualties.¹ Of these, two to three were reported to be in critical condition.¹ Several sailors were observed clinging to the damaged masts in the immediate aftermath, though thankfully none were reported to have fallen into the river.¹ The family of América Yamilet Sánchez later expressed their grief and raised questions regarding the support provided by the Mexican Navy in the wake of the tragedy.³

The ARM “Cuauhtémoc” itself suffered extensive damage. All three of the ship’s masts were impacted and either broke, snapped off, or were severely damaged as they struck the bridge.¹ Following the incident, the crippled vessel was moved to Pier 36 on the East River for damage assessment and to facilitate the investigation.³

In contrast, the Brooklyn Bridge, a historic structure completed in 1883, withstood the impact without sustaining major structural damage.¹ The FDNY’s robotics unit deployed drones to survey the bridge for any potential damage.⁶ While all traffic lanes on the bridge were closed for a period—ranging from approximately 40 minutes to two hours—they were reopened by around 10:30 PM on the night of the incident.¹

A significant factor contributing to the high number of casualties appears to be the naval tradition of “manning the yards.” This ceremonial practice involves sailors standing in formation on the yards (the horizontal spars attached to the masts) as a vessel enters or departs a harbor.² It is believed that this ceremony was being performed on the “Cuauhtémoc” at the time of the collision.² Consequently, many crew members were positioned high on the masts, directly in the path of destruction when the masts struck the bridge and collapsed. This incident starkly illustrates the potential dangers when such long-standing traditions intersect with unforeseen mechanical failures or accidents in complex maritime environments, prompting reflection on the risk assessment associated with these ceremonies near fixed infrastructure.

Emergency Response and Official Actions

The response to the collision was swift and involved multiple city and federal agencies. Units from the FDNY, the NYPD Harbor Unit, and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) were dispatched to the scene shortly after the incident was reported, with FDNY and NYPD assets arriving by 8:30 PM.¹ Injured personnel were quickly transported to nearby medical facilities in Manhattan for treatment.¹

The U.S. Coast Guard played a crucial role in managing the immediate aftermath. Coast Guard Sector New York launched a crew from Coast Guard Station New York and established an initial safety zone extending from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Manhattan Bridge.⁵ Subsequently, a 50-yard safety zone was enforced around the “Cuauhtémoc” at Pier 36.⁵ The Coast Guard’s New York Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) also suspended commercial traffic in the affected area of the East River to ensure safety and facilitate response operations.⁵

New York City officials were quick to address the public. Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the collision, the resulting casualties, and attributed the preliminary cause to a loss of power or mechanical failure aboard the naval ship.¹ The NYPD’s Special Operations Chief, Wilson Aramboles, provided further details, noting that the ship had been traveling in the wrong direction toward the bridge.¹ The New York City Department of Transportation confirmed that the bridge had not suffered major structural damage, although routine maintenance closures were scheduled shortly after the incident.¹

The Mexican Secretariat of the Navy issued a public statement acknowledging the collision and the damage to the “Cuauhtémoc”.¹ They pledged transparency throughout the investigation and affirmed their cooperation with U.S. authorities.¹ Most of the ship’s crew members were repatriated to Mexico shortly after the incident.³

The coordinated efforts of local, federal, and international bodies highlighted established emergency protocols for maritime incidents in a major port. However, the incident also briefly brought Vessel Traffic Services into public discussion. Concerns were raised by Senator Chuck Schumer regarding potential staffing issues at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) possibly affecting VTS functionality, though DHS and USCG officials quickly refuted these claims, stating that VTS was fully functional and that the incident’s cause was unrelated to VTS operations, stemming instead from the ship’s loss of propulsion.³ This exchange, while not directly implicating VTS in this specific collision, reflected a broader public and political sensitivity concerning maritime safety infrastructure, particularly following other recent high-profile maritime accidents.

Investigation Underway: Seeking Answers

A comprehensive investigation into the collision was immediately launched, led by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), under investigation ID DCA25MM039.³ The NTSB is working in close coordination with Mexican government officials and the Mexican Navy to determine the precise cause and contributing factors of the incident.⁵ An NTSB team met with Mexican officials aboard the “Cuauhtémoc” as part of their evidence-gathering process.⁷

The primary reported cause of the collision is a loss of power aboard the “Cuauhtémoc,” leading to the vessel striking the bridge structure.¹ The NTSB’s investigation is expected to be thorough, examining several key areas:

• The status of the ship’s engine, including any potential failures, and a review of engine inspection and maintenance records.³
• The role that environmental factors such as wind and tide may have played, although initial NTSB comments suggested that while wind and current were directed towards the bridge, their strength was not likely a significant causal factor.³
• Electronic data from the vessel to reconstruct its movements and determine points of acceleration or deceleration.³
• Interviews with the crew to understand the events from their perspective and gather information on operational procedures.³
• Operational readiness, including whether the ship’s anchors were prepared for emergency deployment and what procedures were in place for engine shutdown if the vessel continued to move astern uncontrollably.³

While New York City officials, including the Mayor and NYPD, have pointed to mechanical failure or loss of power as the likely trigger ², the significant height difference between the “Cuauhtémoc’s” masts (approximately 44 meters or 147 feet) and the Brooklyn Bridge’s clearance (approximately 38.2-39 meters or 127 feet) was a critical physical element that made the collision damaging once control was lost.¹

The NTSB has maintained a cautious public stance, emphasizing that it will not speculate on the cause or draw conclusions while its on-scene investigation is active.³ The agency’s immediate focus has been on gathering perishable evidence.³ A preliminary report on their findings is anticipated approximately 30 days after the incident, around mid-June 2025.³ The NTSB has also acknowledged receiving photos and videos from public witnesses.⁷

The multifaceted nature of this investigation, encompassing mechanical, environmental, operational, and human factors, underscores the complexity of determining causality. The findings could have significant implications for the operation of similar tall ships, particularly training vessels built several decades ago (the “Cuauhtémoc” was constructed in 1982 ²). This may lead to reviews of maintenance standards, protocols for tug assistance in confined waters, and risk assessments for ceremonial activities near critical infrastructure.

Context of the “Cuauhtémoc’s” Visit and Mission

The ARM “Cuauhtémoc” is a barque and serves as a training vessel for the Mexican Navy, frequently undertaking international voyages for cadet training and goodwill missions.¹ Its visit to New York City from May 13-17, 2025, was part of an annual training cruise and the third stop on a planned eight-month journey that began in Acapulco on April 4, 2025.¹ After New York, the ship was scheduled to sail to Iceland.²

The ship’s presence in New York was multifaceted. It was a routine port call but also served as a cultural exchange initiative between Mexico and the United States.¹ Furthermore, the “Cuauhtémoc” was slated to participate in New York’s Fleet Week activities later in May and was part of preliminary events leading up to the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence on July 4, 2026.¹

As previously mentioned, the ceremonial departure, likely involving the tradition of “manning the yards,” became a tragic element of the incident.² This custom, where sailors line the spars of the masts, is a time-honored naval tradition intended to salute the host port.² However, in this instance, it placed many crew members in highly vulnerable positions when the masts collapsed, directly contributing to the severity and number of casualties.²

The accident is particularly unfortunate given the “Cuauhtémoc’s” role as an ambassadorial vessel engaged in training and fostering international relations. The collision not only resulted in tragic loss of life and injury but also marred a mission of goodwill. This event may prompt navies worldwide that operate similar historic tall ships to re-evaluate the risk-reward balance of performing such traditional ceremonies, especially in increasingly congested ports and proximity to infrastructure like bridges, potentially leading to modified procedures or more stringent safety assessments.

Current Status and Next Steps

As of late May 2025, the ARM “Cuauhtémoc” remains moored at Pier 36 on the East River.³ Authorities are conducting ongoing damage assessments, and plans for the vessel’s salvage and potential repair are being formulated.⁵ New York City Emergency Management is reportedly developing a plan to safely tow the damaged ship to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for further attention.⁶

The majority of the “Cuauhtémoc’s” crew members, aside from those killed or requiring ongoing hospitalization in New York, have returned to Mexico.³ Two injured crew members were reported to still be hospitalized in New York as of late May.³ In a poignant tribute, mourners have left flowers and candles at Pier 36 in memory of the deceased cadets, América Yamilet Sánchez and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos.³

The NTSB’s investigation (DCA25MM039) continues to be the primary focus for determining the cause of the collision.⁷ The agency has indicated that it does not plan any further on-scene media briefings, with a preliminary report expected by mid-June 2025.³

The incident has transitioned from an immediate crisis response to a phase of methodical investigation, vessel recovery management, and continued support for those affected. The findings of the NTSB investigation will be keenly awaited by maritime authorities globally. Given the high-profile nature of the collision—involving a naval training vessel, an iconic bridge, and resulting fatalities—any recommendations stemming from the investigation could influence international safety protocols and operational guidelines for tall ships, particularly concerning maneuvering in confined waters, engine maintenance for aging vessels, and the conduct of traditional ceremonies in modern maritime settings.

Cited

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3. NTSB gives first update on Brooklyn Bridge ship crash – CBS New …, accessed May 26, 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/brooklyn-bridge-mexican-ship-crash-investigation/
4. 夸乌特莫克号—布鲁克林大桥相撞事故 – 维基百科, accessed May 26, 2025, https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E5%A4%B8%E7%83%8F%E7%89%B9%E8%8E%AB%E5%85%8B%E8%99%9F%E2%80%94%E5%B8%83%E9%AD%AF%E5%85%8B%E6%9E%97%E5%A4%A7%E6%A9%8B%E7%9B%B8%E6%92%9E%E4%BA%8B%E6%95%85
5. U.S. Coast Guard responds to Mexican Tall ship allision > United …, accessed May 26, 2025, https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4189526/us-coast-guard-responds-to-mexican-tall-ship-allision/
6. New timeline emerges in tall ship collision with Brooklyn Bridge – YouTube, accessed May 26, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bAR6HAt5Ts
7. DCA25MM039.aspx – NTSB, accessed May 26, 2025, https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA25MM039.aspx