NEW YORK (AP) — A Mexican navy crusing ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday throughout a promotional tour in New York Metropolis, the highest of its three masts slamming into the long-lasting span and partially collapsing because the boat floated within the East River.

New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams mentioned 19 folks have been injured within the crash, 4 significantly, however the 142-year-old bridge was spared main harm. The reason for the collision was underneath investigation.

In a scene captured in a number of eyewitness movies, the masts could possibly be seen snapping and partially collapsing as they crashed into the deck of the bridge. Movies confirmed heavy visitors on the span on the time of the collision.

The vessel, which was flying an enormous inexperienced, white and purple Mexican flag, then drifted towards the sting of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore. Sailors could possibly be seen aloft within the rigging on the broken masts.

Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz instructed The Related Press they have been sitting outdoors to observe the sundown after they noticed the vessel strike the bridge and one in every of its masts snap. Trying nearer, they noticed somebody dangling from excessive on the ship.

“We saw someone dangling, and I couldn’t tell if it was just blurry or my eyes, and we were able to zoom in on our phone and there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,” Katz mentioned.

A masted Mexican Navy coaching ship, the Cuauhtémoc, sits stranded after colliding with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday, Might 17, 2025. (AP Picture/Kyle Viterbo)

They mentioned they noticed two folks faraway from the ship on stretchers onto smaller boats.

The Mexican navy mentioned in a put up on the social platform X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy coaching vessel, was broken in an accident with the Brooklyn Bridge that prevented it from persevering with its voyage.

It added that the standing of personnel and materials was underneath overview by naval and native authorities, which have been offering help.

The Overseas Affairs Ministry mentioned on X that its ambassador to the U.S. and officers from the Mexican consulate in New York have been involved with native authorities to supply help to “the affected cadets,” nevertheless it didn’t point out accidents.

A Mexican navy ship sits within the water after it hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, Might 17, 2025 in New York. (AP Picture/Kyle Viterbo)

The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has an almost 1,600-foot primary span supported by two masonry towers. Greater than 100,000 autos and an estimated 32,000 pedestrians cross every single day, in accordance with town’s transportation division, and its walkway is a significant vacationer attraction.

The Cuauhtemoc — about 297 ft lengthy and 40 ft huge, in accordance with the Mexican navy — sailed for the primary time in 1982.

Annually it units out on the finish of courses on the naval army faculty to complete cadets’ coaching. This yr it left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on April 6 with 277 folks onboard, the navy mentioned then.

The Mexican consulate mentioned Might 13 on X that the Cuauhtemoc, additionally referred to as the “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,” arrived that day and docked at pier 17. It invited folks to go to by way of Might 17.

The ship was scheduled to go to 22 ports in 15 nations, together with Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; and New York.

It additionally had deliberate to go to Reykjavik, Iceland; Bordeaux, Saint Malo and Dunkirk, France; and Aberdeen, Scotland, amongst others, for a complete of 254 days, 170 of them at sea.

Initially Printed: Might 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM EDT