{"id":278166,"date":"2025-10-04T22:42:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T22:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/278166\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T22:42:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T22:42:17","slug":"mexican-naval-ship-that-crashed-into-brooklyn-bridge-finally-sails-home-from-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/278166\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexican naval ship that crashed into Brooklyn Bridge finally sails home from NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Mexican Navy\u2019s tall ship Cuauht\u00e9moc \u2014 which infamously <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/01\/us-news\/mexican-navy-ship-went-backwards-before-hitting-nycs-brooklyn-bridge-officials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge<\/a> \u2014 sailed out of Manhattan Saturday afternoon without incident after an emotional farewell ceremony that drew hundreds to the Hudson River.<\/p>\n<p>Around 300 people lined Pier 86 beside the Intrepid Museum to wave, sing, and dance as the three-masted training vessel prepared to head home to Cozumel, ending <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/05\/17\/us-news\/new-yorkers-watch-in-horror-as-mexican-navy-ship-hits-brooklyn-bridge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a six-month stay in New York for repairs.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Officials and cadets aboard the Mexican Navy\u2019s tall ship Cuauht\u00e9moc prepare to depart Pier 86 after a farewell ceremony at the Intrepid Museum. LP Media<\/p>\n<p>At 2:45 p.m., the ship\u2019s cadets formed ranks on deck as a military band played the Mexican and naval anthems. By 3:20 p.m., the gangway was pulled and the crew began its 35-day voyage south.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are very proud of the Cuauht\u00e9moc, which has been crossing the seas of the world since 1986, when it was built,\u201d said Marcos Augustus Bucio Mujica, Mexico\u2019s consul general in New York.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are very grateful to Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul and to the hospitals and first responders who supported during and in the aftermath of the tragic accident. We also want to remember and honor the two cadets <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/05\/18\/us-news\/mexican-ship-crashed-into-bklyn-bridge-because-it-lost-steering-during-mechanical-failure-sources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">who lost their lives that night.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Cuauht\u00e9moc crew stand in formation on deck as the Mexican and naval anthems play before departure. LP Media<\/p>\n<p>Captain Victor Hugo Molina P\u00e9rez and Admiral Francisco Guillermo Escamilla C\u00e1zares also spoke, honoring <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/05\/17\/us-news\/ship-carrying-200-people-hits-the-brooklyn-bridge-as-search-and-rescue-operation-underway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the fallen sailors and offering condolences to their families.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Among the crowd was Carmen Ortiz, 65, a retired teacher from Puebla, who came to see off her nephew, shipboard doctor Hugo Adri\u00e1n Calvario.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is a traumatologist,\u201d Ortiz told The Post.<\/p>\n<p>Crew members man the rigging of the Cuauht\u00e9moc as the ship departs the Hudson River for Cozumel. LP Media<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was one of the first people to respond during the accident.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She called the crash \u201ca stressful and very sad night for them, obviously.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Spectators clapped and waved Mexican flags as dancers in regional costumes performed on the pier.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe came to see them off dancing,\u201d said Saray Quiroz, 45, who performed traditional routines from Chiapas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe send them off with love and wish them the very best on their journey,\u201d added Damaris Huerta, 49, from Jalisco.<\/p>\n<p>Crowds gather on the pier near the Intrepid to see off the repaired Cuauht\u00e9moc. LP Media<\/p>\n<p>One of the most emotional moments came from Marlene Castro, 68, a school aide who was on the East River the night of the crash and said she still has nightmares.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m so scared,\u201d she said, staring up at the newly restored masts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still so scared for them. I was there when the boat hit the bridge. I was there when they were doing CPR. I pray the God and the Virgin Mary watches over their souls in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>The May 17 collision killed two sailors and injured 19 when the Cuauht\u00e9moc \u2014 a 297-foot training barque \u2014 inexplicably reversed under power and slammed into the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge.<\/p>\n<p>The masts snapped and fell as dozens of cadets were \u201cmanning the masts\u201d in ceremonial formation.<\/p>\n<p>Federal investigators said the vessel accelerated backward despite pilot commands to move ahead.<\/p>\n<p>The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet determined the cause, saying its inquiry could take a year or more.<\/p>\n<p>The Cuauht\u00e9moc spent four months in dry dock at Caddell Repair &amp; Dry Dock Co. on Staten Island, where crews rebuilt its three masts and inspected its propulsion and steering systems.<\/p>\n<p>Sailors aboard the Cuauht\u00e9moc handle lines during the vessel\u2019s departure from New York Harbor. LP Media<\/p>\n<p>The vessel completed a successful sea trial in September before relocating to the Intrepid pier last month.<\/p>\n<p>Chris O\u2019Brien, president of Sail 4th 250 \u2014 the organization planning America\u2019s 250th birthday maritime celebration next year \u2014 called the ship\u2019s departure a symbol of renewal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re doing the big event for next year, and we\u2019re very hopeful that the Cuauht\u00e9moc and the Mexican Navy will be coming back to join us for the events,\u201d O\u2019Brien said.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a gigantic international goodwill celebration right here in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI came to see them off,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a saying in the sea services. I\u2019m former Coast Guard. You say fair winds and following seas and wishing them well on their voyage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Cuauht\u00e9moc, rebuilt after crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge in May, begins its 35-day voyage home. LP Media<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Brien called tall ships like the Cuauht\u00e9moc \u201cthe Crown Jewels of their nations.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>David Winters, executive vice president of the Intrepid Museum, said New Yorkers were proud to host the vessel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTall ships like this are goodwill ambassadors for their nations, and we\u2019re very, very happy to have this vessel here at the Intrepid,\u201d Winters said.<\/p>\n<p>A Mexican Navy officer in white uniform salutes on Pier 86 in Manhattan on Saturday. LP Media<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve had other tall ship visitors in the past, we\u2019ll have more in the future, and this is a nice preview to next year\u2019s Sail 4th celebration of our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the Cuauht\u00e9moc eased from the pier and the crowd cheered, the Mexican Navy\u2019s band struck up one final song.<\/p>\n<p>The ship\u2019s white sails caught the wind, and its masts \u2014 newly rebuilt and gleaming in the afternoon sun \u2014 rose again above the Hudson.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Mexican Navy\u2019s tall ship Cuauht\u00e9moc \u2014 which infamously smashed into the Brooklyn Bridge \u2014 sailed out of&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":278167,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,29877,5232,143746,2222,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,67,586,132,5230,68,1154,2969,143747],"class_list":{"0":"post-278166","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-brooklyn-bridge","10":"tag-hudson-river","11":"tag-intrepid-museum","12":"tag-mexico","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-newyork","16":"tag-newyorkcity","17":"tag-ny","18":"tag-nyc","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-united-states-of-america","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","23":"tag-us","24":"tag-us-news","25":"tag-usa","26":"tag-uss-intrepid"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115318315042538148","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}