Two folks have kicked the bucket, and 19 others got hurt after a Mexican Navy training ship crashed into the renowned Brooklyn Bridge. The ship broke all three of its masts when it collided with the New York City landmark on Saturday evening while terrified onlookers fled in panic. The Mexican naval ship Cuauhtemoc was captured in the East River after striking the Brooklyn Bridge. People could be seen looking at the Cuauhtemoc, a Mexican Navy training boat, as it sat in the East River post-collision. The Mexican Navy tall ship floated off Pier 35 on the Manhattan side of the East River.
In a jaw-dropping scene caught on camera, the ship named the Cuauhtemoc was seen moving rapidly in reverse towards the bridge, near the Brooklyn side of the East River. Suddenly, its three masts collided with the old bridge’s span, snapping one by one as the ship continued to move. Onlookers were slowly backing away from the walking path by the river as they witnessed the ship getting closer before screaming and running to safety at the moment of impact. More footage revealed heavy traffic on the span at the time of the collision at 8:20 pm, but fortunately, no injuries were reported among those on the bridge.
The vessel, flying a giant Mexican flag and carrying 277 people, then drifted into a pier on the riverbank as onlookers continued to scramble desperately. Sailors could be seen up in the rigging on the damaged masts, but miraculously, no one fell into the water, according to officials. Witnesses described the chaos, with one individual mentioning seeing sailors falling from height off the boat sails. Another witness recalled hearing screams and cries as onlookers watched sailors, many of whom were cadets, dangling from the vessel. The ship was moved slowly up the East River, passing under the Manhattan Bridge before docking at a pier as onlookers gathered on the waterfront to watch the scene unfold.
