Brooklyn Bridge-Mexican ship collision: Was a tugboat responsible for the crash? New details emerge

NTSB probers have revealed that they are looking into a tugboat’s possible role in a Mexican ship’s crash into the Brooklyn Bridge. However, they have yet to board the foreign craft and talk to its crew.

Agency investigator Brian Young told reporters at the first National Transportation Safety Board briefing that “part of our investigation will be to look into procedures” involving tug boats in the harbor,” according to the New York Post. The Cuauhtémoc is believed to have collided with the bridge after a mechanical failure shut down its steering.

‘Still working to get access to the ship’

A local tugboat was reportedly helping guide the Mexican boat out of port before the tall ship headed to Iceland. Questions are now being raised about whether the tug released the vessel too quickly, when it ended up barreling in reverse into the span.

Young and NTSB board member Michael Graham stressed that the probe is preliminary. The agency is still in talks with the Mexican government and is trying to get access to the ship and the cadets who are on board. Several sailors have left for home already.

“Still working to get access to the ship,” Graham said at the briefing. “We haven’t yet had a chance to access the engine.”

“We haven’t had a chance to talk to any of the crew at this point. We are working with our counterparts in the Mexican government to gain access to the ship,” Graham added.

Speaking on Fox’s ‘Good Day New York’ on Monday, May 19, Mayor Eric Adams noted that it was “a military vessel.” “And the investigation appeared to take different methods when it’s a military vessel and not a passenger, just simply a passenger vessel. And so I think there’s some limitations on what we can do when it comes down to investigations,” he said.

“Just as we don’t want individuals boarding our ships in other waters, there’s some protocols in place,” he added. 

Meanwhile, describing the final minutes before the tragedy, Young said, “At 8:24 p.m., a [voyage data recorder] radio broadcast was sounded requesting assistance from other tugboats in the area of the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Young added, “That was followed by two other requests for assistance, and at 8:24 and 45 seconds, the vessel’s mast struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge. At 8:27, the vessel came to a stop.”

NYPD and FDNY boats arrived at the scene by 8:30 pm, Young said. Mexican cadets America Yamilet Sanchez and Adal Jair Marcos died as a result of the tragedy.