Harrowing video shows Mexican sailors clinging to the rigging of the tall ship that smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night — after dozens of crew members were seen standing on the masts of the vessel as it careened out of control.
Two sailors were killed and 17 were injured after the ship, Mexican navy training vessel collided with iconic bridge just before 8:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Video taken at the moment of the crash shows dozens of sailors lined up on the 147-foot masts as it set off on its journey for Iceland with 277 on board following a goodwill visit to New York City.
Footage filmed from the Brooklyn side of the East River shows the Cuauhtémoc’s three masts hitting the bridge and snapping after an apparent mechanical failure, sending it drifting in reverse downstream.
Other eyewitness video shows sailors hanging from the rigging ropes on the damaged masts.
“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 at least 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,” eyewitness Lily Katz told The Associated Press.
Emergency diving crews were sent in to check the water as a precaution, but remarkably, no one fell in, officials said.
The sound when the masts hit the bridge sounded like the loud snapping of a “big twig,” said Nick Corso, who had his phone out to capture the boat as it passed under the bridge.
Those around him began running as “pandemonium” broke out on board the ship, and he saw sailors dangling from a mast, he said.
“I didn’t know what to think, I was like, is this a movie?” he added.
The most critically injured sailors were up on the mast of the ship at the time of the crash, officials said.
The injured were taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, Mayor Eric Adams said.
“We are praying for everyone on board and their families and are grateful to our first responders who quickly jumped into action, ensuring this accident wasn’t much worse,” Adams told a news conference on Saturday night.
“Following our preliminary inspection, we can confirm that the bridge sustained no damage and is now open to the public,” he went on.
Video shows heavy traffic on the bridge at the time of the collision.
The ship, flying an enormous Mexican flag, had arrived in New York earlier this week and had been moored at the South Street Seaport Museum where it was offering tours to the public.
As of Sunday morning, it has been taken to Pier 36 on the Lower East Side, where it was guarded by NYPD officers and an NYPD harbor unit in the water.
A 50-yard safety zone has been set up around the ship, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.
Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has spoken out following the accident.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc Training Ship, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our sympathy and support go out to their families,” Sheinbaum said on X.
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