A tragic accident in New York Harbor this weekend left two Mexican navy cadets dead and at least 22 others injured after a tall ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, according to CBS News. Eleven remain in critical condition.
The ship, Cuauhtémoc—a 270-foot Mexican naval training vessel known as a “goodwill ambassador”—was carrying 277 people when it lost power around 8:20 p.m. on Saturday. Its towering masts, each more than 157 feet tall, struck the underside of the bridge as the ship attempted to exit Manhattan’s Pier 17 en route back to the Atlantic.
Sailors América Sánchez, 20, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, 23, were killed in the crash. Both were in training with Mexico’s naval academy.
“I deeply regret the passing of Veracruz cadet América Yamilet Sánchez. My love, support, and solidarity go out to her family. My gratitude to the @SEMAR_mx and my wishes for a speedy recovery for those injured. Veracruz is with you,” Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle posted on X.
Sánchez, a fourth-year cadet, had dreamed of becoming a naval engineer. Her mother, Rocío Hernández, told The Guardian that her daughter was “exemplary” and “a dedicated student.”
“She was a warrior, a soldier who didn’t give up, who always fought for her goals,” Hernández told BBC News.
Maldonado, the other cadet killed, had joined the navy to follow in his father’s footsteps, friends said.
The Cuauhtémoc has long symbolized Mexico’s naval pride. Launched in 1982, it has traveled to more than 60 countries and was mid-tour on a planned journey to 15 nations when the accident occurred, according to ABC 6 Action News.
Authorities are still investigating what caused the ship to lose power. The incident has sparked questions about tall-ship navigation in densely trafficked urban waterways—especially near aging infrastructure like the Brooklyn Bridge.
