Video footage showed the crew hanging on the rigging of a Mexican Navy tall ship that hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night.
Two sailors were killed and another 20 were injured when the Cuauhtémac ship hit the bridge around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Everyone injured was on the boat, and none of the 277 people on the boat fell into the water.
"No one fell into the water, they were all injured," said NYPD officials. "This ship, as far as I know, was disembarking and going to Iceland."
The 150-foot-tall Mexican Navy training ship broke three masts after hitting the bridge, a crash on the Brooklyn side of the East River showed. Officials said early signs that mechanical problems could have caused the ship to deviate from the route and collided with the bridge, but the incident is still under investigation.
NTSB launches "go-team" from professional investigators after Brooklyn Bridge is hit by Mexican naval ship
The crew was seen hanging on the rigging of a high Mexican Navy ship and hit the Brooklyn Bridge. (Instagram via @didyouknowsam, x via @sammysparks)
The video also showed sailors hanging from damaged masts from rigging ropes, but none of them fell into the water.
"We saw people swaying around, I couldn't tell if it was blurry or my eyes, we were able to zoom in on the phone, and someone hung from the top from the top for at least 15 minutes before they could rescue them," witness Lily Katz told the Associated Press.
Another witness, Nick Corso, took out his phone and grabbed the background of the ship, his bridge and the bridge at sunset when he heard a huge sound that sounded like a "big branch".
Mexican naval ship crashes with Brooklyn Bridge in dramatic New York crash at least 2 people die
Officials said no one fell into the water. (Instagram via @didyouknowsam, x via @sammysparks)
He said people around Koso started running and then performed the "pandemonium" on the boat. Later, he noticed a few people swaying from the mast.
"I don't know what to think, is this a movie?" he said.
The bridge was not hit by any damage.
"We are praying for everyone on board and thanking our first responders who have acted quickly to make sure the accident doesn't get worse," Adams said in a news conference Saturday night.
When the Cuauhtémac ship hit the bridge, two sailors were killed and another 20 were injured. (Instagram via @didyouknowsam, x via @sammysparks)
Click here to get the Fox News app
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum provided “unity and support” to the families of the deceased crew members after the crash.
"We are deeply saddened that the two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc training boat, which died in the unfortunate accident at the New York Harbor, lost two crew members. Our sympathy and support pay tribute to their families."
Cuauhtémoc built-in Bilbao, SpainAccording to International Sailing Training, in 1981, he won two tall boat races. The ship in New York City is part of a promotion for next year's event to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States.