Mexican ship’s collision with Brooklyn Bridge leaves locals in disbelief

New York City residents witness plenty of shocking events in the city that never sleeps, but the fatal crash of a Mexican Navy ship into the historic Brooklyn Bridge has left even the most hardened New Yorkers a bit stunned.

The ship’s captain lost control due to a mechanical issue, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, causing the naval training ship’s tall masts to hit the bottom of the 142-year-old bridge connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Of the 277 naval crew and cadets aboard at the time of the crash, two were killed and another 22 were injured.

Shortly after the crash Saturday night, videos of the collision made the rounds online and hundreds of people flocked toward the water to see the damage for themselves.

Ishmael Alvarado lives on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge and said his son started calling for him to come look out the window as they heard some noise outside.

“I thought it was a movie. I didn’t know it was actually happening,” he told NBC News on Sunday.

After hearing about the two people who lost their lives, Alvarado wanted to see the ship in person to pay his respects.

“I feel really sad, and I feel for the families of the sailors that were there,” Alvarado said. “I’m a Marine Corps veteran myself, so I understand people who serve. … They’re serving their country in Mexico.”

Mexican authorities said its naval ship was on a training cruise called the “Bicentennial of the Consolidation of Independence at Sea.” It was meant to dock in New York for just a few days as part of a cultural exchange before setting off to Iceland to continue its journey.

The cause of the collision is under investigation by the New York Police Department, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Mexican government.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo thanked Adams for his support to her country’s nationals and assured that the Mexican Navy was caring for its wounded.

“We are very sorry to hear of the death of two crew members of the Buque Escuela Cuauhtémoc, who lost their lives in the regrettable accident in the port of New York,” Pardo wrote on X. “Our solidarity and support for the families.”

Theresa Lee came to see the ship Sunday along with her two dogs. When she first saw the videos of the crash, Lee said she thought it was a fabrication generated by artificial intelligence.

“I didn’t think it was a real thing that was occurring,” Lee said. She added that the crash seemed to be occurring in slow motion, “like the masts are breaking so slowly and that it was going backwards.”

Laureen Smith was returning to the area from dinner in Manhattan on Saturday night and rushed back home to see the ship after getting text messages about the shocking news from her family.

“Normally, what we see is ferries that go back and forth, or be like cargo ships with containers on them, but not big ships like this,” Smith said Saturday. “Never seen one like this before.”

Smith said she immediately felt concern for the people on board.

“I just couldn’t believe it, like, why?” Smith said. “How could they possibly have missed that they didn’t fit under the Brooklyn Bridge?”

Zach Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, called the collision “heartbreaking,” not just because of the loss of life but also because of how the deaths have impacted the crew. Reports on what happened remain preliminary, Iscol said.

The ship was moving from the Seaport to Bay Ridge, in south Brooklyn, to anchor and refuel when the crash happened.

“Something happened during that movement where the ship reportedly lost power, lost steerage, and that’s when — because of the current it looks like — it ended up under the Brooklyn Bridge,” Iscol said. “And that’s where the tragedy occurred with the mast.”

People were gathered all around Brooklyn’s shoreline on the warm Saturday night, many viewing the wreckage as paramedics and divers aided those on board.

Andrew Schiff, a New Yorker who takes part in a local sailing club, said he was at a jazz concert in the area and saw the ship about 10 minutes after it crashed.

“I thought it was like some kind of movie set or something,” Schiff said.

Schiff noted that he’s had experience navigating the Hudson River and called the power of the currents around the bridge “very significant.”

“I mean, sometimes the East River flows out towards the ocean 3 or 4 knots, which is a pretty strong current,” he said.

He added that boats trying to navigate the waters require a lot of engine power to help keep their ships in control.

“The ferries have it, but if you don’t, if you have a sailing ship with not a lot of engine power, it could toss you around,” Schiff said.