A Mexican Navy training vessel collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York as it sailed through the East River and knocked a piece of the mast off the ship, raising concerns over navigation safety.
The tall ship, Cuauhtémoc, had arrived in New York on a goodwill visit when the top of its mast struck the bridge structure. The impact bent pieces of the mast but caused no injuries. The ship docked later safely, and sailors were seen surveying the damage.
The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed the incident and said an investigation was underway to determine what happened. Initial reports are that the ship may have calculated the clearance under the bridge too high when the tide was high.
Flashback:
Cuauhtémoc is a well-known warship training ship which has berthed at ports worldwide for many decades. It visited Europe and Asia in 2019 as part of diplomatic outreach. The ship, renowned for its tall masts and enormous sails, normally draws crowds wherever it berths.
The ship was also meant to have visitors and conduct a flag ceremony at New York. The accident has now raised issues of the clearance procedure for ships and liaison with port authorities by foreign ships.
The Brooklyn Bridge itself is not damaged severely, officials add, and traffic on the bridge was not affected. Some structural inspections were conducted in certain locations on a precautionary measure.
New York harbor officials have praised the crew of the vessel for maintaining their cool and managing the incident in a professional way. They also emphasized the significance of enhanced coordination in the case of future naval calls, specifically of tall ships and tidal variations.
Last but not least, even as the Cuauhtémoc visit was meant to be a friendly one, the accident serves as a reminder of the perils of navigating tight urban waterways.
