NTSB Investigates Fatal Collision Between Mexican Navy Vessel and Brooklyn Bridge

Screengrab from CBS News youtube Channel

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is diving into the tragic incident involving the Mexican Navy’s training ship, Cuauhtémoc, which collided with the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.This unfortunate event lead to the loss of two cadets and left several others injured.

On Saturday, May 17, around 8:24 PM, this impressive 300-foot sailing vessel struck the bridge’s underside shortly after leaving Pier 17 at Manhattan’s south Street Seaport. The ship was in reverse with tugboat assistance when its speed unexpectedly surged from a safe 2.3 knots to a hazardous 6 knots—this rapid acceleration ultimately caused it to crash.

NTSB investigator Brian Young noted that Cuauhtémoc was meant to navigate south along the East River for refueling but rather sped backward against its intended course and hit the bridge just minutes after setting sail. Fortunately, officials reported that there was no meaningful structural damage to the historic bridge.

At that moment, winds were blowing westward at about 10 knots alongside a mild upriver current of roughly 0.3 knots. Just moments before impact, a distress call went out for help from nearby tugboats; though, investigators are still trying to pinpoint who initiated that call. the Cuauhtémoc suffered extensive damage across all three masts while some cadets were reportedly aloft during this chaotic moment.

Witnesses saw several cadets suspended in harnesses as masts broke and partially collapsed around them. Tragically, two young cadets—America Yamilet Sanchez and Adal Jair Marcos—lost their lives due to injuries sustained in this accident. Two others remain hospitalized but are currently stable in New York.

The ship had been docked in New york as May 13 as part of an international goodwill tour starting from Acapulco and set to continue on toward Reykjavík in Iceland’s stunning landscapes. at the time of the collision, there were about 277 individuals aboard; following this incident, most personnel—including a large number of cadets—returned home to Veracruz on Monday.

Considering thes events, NTSB has confirmed that they are investigating why Cuauhtémoc accelerated right before crashing into one of New York’s most famous landmarks.

As investigations unfold under Brian Young’s leadership following this tragedy… pic.twitter.com/d9fEqY6Up0

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 19

To ensure safety around Cuauhtémoc now docked at Pier 36 while inspections take place, both US Coast Guard and NYPD have established a safety perimeter around it. plans are underway for moving it over to Brooklyn Navy Yard once salvage operations can be organized without disrupting ferry services too much.

Currently awaiting access for thorough examination by NTSB is crucial; they haven’t yet interviewed key personnel such as the captain or tugboat operators involved nor reviewed onboard records or mechanical systems related to propulsion methods used during navigation.mcallister Towing—the company behind assisting tug charles D. McAllister—is cooperating fully with authorities and promptly alerted officials post-collision while providing necessary support promptly afterward.

A preliminary report from NTSB should be available within about thirty days; however full investigations may stretch up to two years before any conclusions can be drawn based on comprehensive fact-finding efforts.