Last night, May 17, 2025, tragedy struck when the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc hit New York’s Brooklyn Bridge just before 8:30 pm. Onlookers captured shocking video of the incident as it unfolded before them. All three masts snapped upon hitting the bridge span, leaving crew members dangling high in the rigging. Mexican Navy officials report two fatalities and 22 injuries (11 of which are critical).
Cuauhtémo reportedly lost power, disabling the rudder and leaving the crew unable to steer. The East River carried the ship backward and into the Brooklyn Bridge (it was undamaged in the accident). Tugboats took Cuauhtémoc to Pier 36 following the accident. The United States’ National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating, as is the Mexican Navy.
This is a sad event, and our thoughts are with all those impacted by this tragedy.
Ambassador and Knight of the Seas
Cuauhtémoc was on a global goodwill tour when the accident happened. Each year it sets sail with a crew of cadets aboard as part of their training. This year, she sailed out of Acapulco, Mexico on April 6 with 277 crew members. Her next destination after New York was to be Reykjavik, Iceland.
Called the “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,” Cuauhtémoc is the last of four sister ships that Astilleros Celaya built in Bilbao, Spain. She joined the Mexican Navy in July 1982 and has been an ambassador for Mexican culture ever since. The Colombian, Ecuadoran, and Venezuelan Navies similarly use Cuauhtémoc’s sisters as training vessels.
The Age of Sail?
Many nations still train cadets aboard sailing ships in the 21st century. But why? It seems strange at first glance, but there’s a good reason.
The US Coast Guard, which has its own tall ship called Eagle, explains:
So, why train Coast Guard cadets on a tall ship when most will spend their careers on state-of-the-art ships and aircraft? Because the ways of old still have much to teach. The conditions and situations that you face under sail can’t be replicated either in a classroom or aboard today’s modern ships.
On bard EAGLE, cadets find themselves suddenly out of their element. Totally dependent on wind, waves, and currents, they quickly learn how these forces of nature affect a vessel. They gain unmatched skills in ship-handling, decision-making, and meeting unexpected challenges. They learn the importance of crew members working together to handle the ship safely. That’s college exceeded.
And thus, the old ways are passed on to the next generation. Here’s hoping that Cuauhtémoc is repaired and put back into service quickly.
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