NY - Ship carrying 200 people hits the Brooklyn Bridge as search and rescue operation underway. May 17 2025

[Chimera]

I understand that the Cuahtemoc was on a world tour. They should have checked all the routes and the bridges i understand. I don't know how they planned to navigate the Hudson River. (There are few cities in the world where, like in St. Petersburg, the bridges draw up at night, for the ships to sail. For the rest, Wikipedia has all heights of all bridges). It is so odd. There is no way it could ever sail under the bridge, high or low tide.

Very sorry for the ones who perished and their families. Speedy recovery to all injured.

Bbm.
ITA.

From the articles out there, it sounds like they knew they couldn't pass under the bridge and were preparing to dock on the side decks or port when the boat engine malfunctioned and started to reverse without being able to stop ?
I am not a sailor nor do I have any maritime/naval ship knowledge other than what info. is out there --- but I was wondering if dropping anchor quickly could have prevented this tragedy ?
Maybe it was already too late, though.

The families of the deceased are going to want answers, and tbh --who can blame them.
Imo.

 

[Charlot123]

Bbm.
ITA.

From the articles out there, it sounds like they knew they couldn't pass under the bridge and were preparing to dock on the side decks or port when the boat engine malfunctioned and started to reverse without being able to stop ?
I am not a sailor nor do I have any maritime/naval ship knowledge other than what info. is out there --- but I was wondering if dropping anchor quickly could have prevented this tragedy ?
Maybe it was already too late, though.

The families of the deceased are going to want answers, and tbh --who can blame them.
Imo.

OMG. One hopes that the ones in critical state will make it.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1924243730149544184

Descansa en Paz

 

[HMSHood]

The Brooklyn Bridge, like many suspension bridges is arched. The Cuahtemoc did clear the bridge and for some reason it was swept as the East River has strong currents. The ship hit a lower height part of the bridge. The East River is tidal estuary, not a river.

Where are the Currents Weakest Around Manhattan?

A law firm recently contacted our oceanography research group with a request for research on whether or not the Marine garbage Transfer Station (MTS) proposed for 91st Street in Manhattan would cau…

seaandskyny.com

Cruising New York's East River | Waterway Guide

www.waterwayguide.com

 

[sunspun]

Have they reported the cause of death yet for the fatalities? I assume both were among the crew members who were way up in the tall masts when they hit the bridge. Or they could have been on the deck? Were they both naval cadets?

I thought I read the ship was carrying about 200 guests. Was that just error in early reports or was that true? I wonder if mostly everyone was below decks when they hit. Also wonder how much warning they had. Seems like the ones up top on the masts would have climbed back down if they saw the bridge coming. Maybe there wasn't enough time. Did some of them fall from the masts into the river?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

But footage of the collision shot by horrified onlookers show the ship hurtling into the bridge in reverse at full speed, suggesting the captain lost control of the engine.

There are also questions about whether a tugboat escort peeled away too soon and should have been rigged to the ship or stayed with it until it headed out to sea.

Turbulent waters may have contributed to Mexican tall ship's crash into Brooklyn Bridge

Footage of a tall ship crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge shows the vessel hurtling into the span in reverse at full speed, suggesting the captain lost control of the engine

www.kmbc.com

 

[PrairieWind]

The Brooklyn Bridge, like many suspension bridges is arched. The Cuahtemoc did clear the bridge and for some reason it was swept as the East River has strong currents. The ship hit a lower height part of the bridge. The East River is tidal estuary, not a river.

Where are the Currents Weakest Around Manhattan?

A law firm recently contacted our oceanography research group with a request for research on whether or not the Marine garbage Transfer Station (MTS) proposed for 91st Street in Manhattan would cau…

seaandskyny.com

Cruising New York's East River | Waterway Guide

www.waterwayguide.com

I don't see that at any point the Cuahtemoc could have passed under the bridge. It was never meant to. That was why it docked at pier 17. At low tide, according to Port Authority, the tallest clearance of the Brooklyn Bridge is 135 feet. The Cuauhtémoc is 147 feet tall.

The tug helped it back out of pier 17 and positioned her to proceed down to the bay. But Cuauhtémoc, for some reason, remained in full astern power and powered across the river and then under the bridge, the tug trying to catch up.

I have seen reports of merchant mariners saying the tug should have been actually tied to the ship, but I don't know if that is true and if those regulations would apply to a sailing ship or not.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[vls12345]

NTSB gives first update on Brooklyn Bridge ship crash

The NTSB is still waiting for the Mexican government's permission to access the ship that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.

www.cbsnews.com

The NTSB is still waiting for permission from the Mexican government to gain access to the Cuauhtémoc, which remains docked at Pier 36 following the fatal collision.

Mexican authorities identified the victims as 20-year-old cadet América Yamilet Sánchez and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos. Mourners have been leaving lowers and candles at Pier 36 to pay their respects.

 

[PrairieWind]

It is very interesting that it was only 4 minutes from pulling away from the pier that it hit the bridge.

I hope the NTSB will get permission to go aboard soon. That is going to be critical to the investigation.

 

[CityKid]

How terrifying that must have been too for the motorists on the bridge too, not knowing if the bridge would collapse.

Mexican navy ship Cuauhtémoc hits the Brooklyn Bridge during training exercise

A sailboat struck the base of the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday evening causing multiple injuries, according to the NYPD. The crash, which happened just before 8:30 p.m., occurred when the Mexican navy ship Cuauhtémoc hit the bridge during a sailing maneuver on a training cruise, according to a...

www.nbcnewyork.com

I've walked across it dozens of times, and it's also popular with bicyclists. I can't imagine being on the bridge not knowing how bad the crash would be, or the terror of the boat's crew.

 

[Chimera]

Rest in eternal peace, Ame'rica and Adal !

 

[PrairieWind]

"
With the help of a tugboat, the Cuauhtemoc training vessel backed away from a Manhattan pier filled with cheering people at 8:20 p.m. on Saturday, officials said.


Advertisement
Videos showed the ship moving slowly at first, its rigging filled with white lights and naval cadets balanced high on the ship's yards — the spars that hold the sails. The tugboat nudged the ship along, keeping it from drifting upstream toward the bridge in the current as it backed up into the East River toward Brooklyn.

But after a few minutes, the ship separated from the tug and picked up speed, still moving in reverse, heading for the bridge.

Four minutes after the ship left the pier, a radio call went out asking for help from any additional tugboats in the area, followed by other requests for assistance, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Brian Young said at a media briefing Monday. Officials did not say whether those radio calls originated from the ship, the tug, or somewhere else."

Investigators give timeline of deadly Brooklyn Bridge ship crash

Radio calls asked tugs for help 45 seconds before Mexican ship hit Brooklyn Bridge, officials say

www.kmbc.com

I'm surprised we dont have the audio from those radio calls yet. But whatever happened happened immediately upon leaving the pier.
As of noon NY time, the NTSB has not received permission to board the Cuauhtemoc. If that permission isn't granted this afternoon I think there is a serious issue afoot.