The Mexican Navy training vessel that fatally collided with New York’s Brooklyn Bridge in May sustained damage exceeding $500,000, according to an initial report by US investigators, although no definitive cause for the incident has yet been identified.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a preliminary update on Monday outlining the events surrounding the 17 May collision, when the Cuauhtémoc departed from Manhattan en route to Iceland.
After casting off from its berth at Pier 17, the vessel was instructed to move forward by one of the pilots on board. However, the ship instead drifted backwards along the East River, and its towering masts successively struck the Brooklyn Bridge.
At the time of the impact, several crew members were positioned in the ship’s rigging. The crash resulted in two fatalities and injuries to 19 others, with distressing footage of the incident widely shared by eyewitnesses.
Toxicology screenings for both pilots and the tugboat captain accompanying the Cuauhtémoc returned negative results for alcohol or drugs, the NTSB confirmed.
The agency noted that the inquiry is still ongoing and will explore several areas, including the ship’s propulsion and control systems, the experience and training of the crew, and any relevant operating procedures and policies.
Despite the dramatic nature of the collision, New York officials reported no major structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge.
