Chilling videos that have emerged show people dangling from the topmasts of a Mexican Navy tall sailing ship while it collided with the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday night, May 17. The ship was carrying at least 200 people on board. The tragedy left two people dead, and at least 17 injured.
The videos and images have left netizens questioning why people were on the masts, and how the captain could sail into the bridge with sailors on the masts. “Why did the captain sail right into the Brooklyn Bridge knowing there were people on the masts? Awful situation all around,” an X user wrote, sharing a video that appears to show sailors on the masts.
Many others questioned what those people were doing on the masts.
‘People were falling off of the boat sails’
The Cuauhtémoc lost poweras it was sailing out of New York on its way to Iceland. The current carried it into the road deck of the bridge around 8:30 pm, Mayor Eric Adams said, according to the New York Post,
The massive vessel’s 147-foot masts were sheared off as a result of the collision, with several crew members dangling for their lives. “The boat was coming under the bridge, and there were sailors on top of the boat, the sails hit the bridge and then people were falling off of the boat sails,” said Elijah West, who witnessed the crash, according to the New York Post.
West added, “It was crazy. We were standing under the bridge and we all started running. Then I saw people hanging from the sails. Police boats came around fast — about five minutes later. And then police guided the boat to the (Manhattan) bridge and started the rescue. It was a shock.”
Ismari Romero, 43, who witnessed the crash with her sister from Pier 17, said people were crying. “We were scared — a lot of people were screaming, a lot of people were crying,” said Romero. “We were celebrating and we were saying goodbye and singing. We were all joyful, and they departed. And then they reached the Brooklyn Bridge.”
At present, the ship is idle in the water. Emergency responders are working at Pier 16 to take care of those who were injured. People in critical condition were rushed to nearby hospitals.
