“Mechanical issues” allegedly caused a Mexican Navy training ship, with 277 crew members on board, to veer wildly off course and collide with New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, resulting in the deaths of two young sailors and injuring 22 others, 11 of them seriously.
The May 17 incident garnered massive international coverage, raising a slew of questions that remain unanswered by Mexican officials and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
The accident occurred as the Cuauhtémoc, an 82-meter-long schooner considered a flagship of the Mexican Navy, was preparing to depart for Iceland following a visit to New York that began on May 13 as part of its public diplomacy and naval training mission.
As the ship left the quay, apparently assisted by a tugboat on one side, the strong current appeared to pull it backward toward the bridge. It remains unclear whether the captain failed to start the engine or if it lost power. Witnesses reported that the ship continued to drift, crashing its three masts into the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge. Cadets who had been stationed on the rigging for departure were thrown onto the deck.
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