Mexico Identifies Navy Cadets Killed in Brooklyn Bridge Ship Crash
Flags, flowers and other tributes are left on a fence near the Cuauhtemoc, a masted Mexican Navy training ship, after it collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
A Mexican Navy ship on a goodwill tour, the Cuauhtémoc, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night (May 17) after reportedly losing power. The crash resulted in 2 deaths and 19 injuries. Of those people, 2 are in critical condition, New York Mayor Eric Adams said on social media.
The two people who died were both crew members of the ship, which was carrying 277 people. The Cuauhtémoc reportedly lost power before the crash, which caused it to drift directly into the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge, where it smashed its masts and rigging.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinabaum confirmed the news on social media, saying, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Training Ship Cuauhtémoc, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our solidarity and support go out to their families.”
“The Ministry of the Navy, with the support of local authorities, is currently treating the injured. The Mexican ambassador to the United States and staff from the Mexican Consulate General in New York are supporting the Ministry of the Navy,” she added.
One of the crew members who lost their lives was confirmed as América Yamileth Sánchez Hernández, from the state of Veracruz. She was one of the cadets standing at the top of the mast during the crash. The state’s governor, Rocío Nahle, confirmed her death on social media, writing, “Veracruz is with you,” to the family.
Sánchez’ mother spoke to the BBC and said, “She was a warrior, a soldier who didn’t give up, who always fought for her goals.”
According to El Financiaro, the other crew member was Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos. In San Mateo del Mar, a coastal town in Oaxaca state, friends and relatives of Marcos said to local outlets and media, “The sea saw him being born and the sea was a witness to his passing.”
The bridge sustained no damage, according to Adams, and is open to the public. But an investigation has been opened to determine what happened during the Brooklyn Bridge crash.