2 killed, others injured after Mexican navy ship sails into Brooklyn Bridge

A Mexican navy sailing ship on a global goodwill tour struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday night, snapping its three masts, fatally injuring two crew members and leaving some sailors dangling from harnesses high in the air waiting for help.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at least 19 people needed medical treatment after the crash. Two of the four people who suffered more serious injuries later died, Adams announced on social media early Sunday morning.

The cause of the collision is under investigation.

"Our solidarity and support go out to their families," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum posted on the social media platform X.

The navy ship was on a promotional tour in New York City when the top of its mast brushed the iconic span of the 142-year-old bridge — which officials say was spared major damage — as it sailed through the East River.

In a scene captured in multiple eyewitness videos, three masts of the ship could be seen snapping and partially collapsing as they crashed into the deck of the bridge.

Videos showed heavy traffic on the bridge at the time of the collision. The vessel, which was flying a giant green, white and red Mexican flag, then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.

Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz told The Associated Press they were sitting outside to watch the sunset when they saw the vessel strike the bridge and one of its masts snap. Looking closer, they saw someone dangling from high 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 ... 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them," Katz said.

They said they saw two people removed from the ship on stretchers onto smaller boats.

Just before the collision, Nick Corso took his phone out to capture the backdrop of the ship and the bridge against a sunset. Instead, he heard what sounded like the loud snapping of a "big twig." Several more snaps followed.

People in his vicinity began running and "pandemonium" erupted aboard the ship, he said. 

"I didn't know what to think. I was like, 'Is this a movie?'" he said.

The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtémoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in an accident with the Brooklyn Bridge that prevented it from continuing its voyage.