Mexican Navy Ship Slams Into Brooklyn Bridge

Two on board were killed, while 11 more were critically injured

UPDATE (9 p.m.): The Mexican Navy ship that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge had not meant to sail under it, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management.

UPDATE (10:50 a.m.): Overnight, Mayor Eric Adams said via X that two crew members were killed in the crash and that the boat had lost power beforehand. At least 22 more were injured, half critically, the New York Times reported,

A Mexican Navy ship carrying 277 people slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge late Saturday, leaving three on board critically injured.

As the New York Times reports, the Cuauhtémoc, a training ship, was traveling beneath the bridge when its masts struck its underside, stopping it at the Brooklyn Promenade around 8:30 p.m.

Seventeen more people were seriously injured. An official from the Fire Department told the Times that all crew members were thought to be accounted for.

Massive ship just hit the Brooklyn Bridge https://t.co/9pLKLvaOxl pic.twitter.com/n2BzhGAs4L

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) May 18, 2025

Launched in 1982, the Cuauhtémoc is about 300 feet long, while its mast height is 160 feet. As the Times notes, navigational clearance under the Brooklyn Bridge at high tide is 127 feet. The New York Post reported that the vessel was here to promote next year’s Sail4th tall ship event marking America’s 250th anniversary.

Traffic on the bridge was shut down in both directions for a short period. Officials from the Department of Transportation are taking stock of the damage, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine tweeted.