The Mexican Navy has clarified that the pilot responsible for navigating the training ship when it collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night was based in New York. This statement indicates that the pilot, despite being in command of a Mexican naval vessel, was a local expert familiar with the New York waterways, reports The Guardian.
Investigation Underway
During a press conference, Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles stated that the ship involved in the recent incident “must be controlled by a specialized harbor pilot from the New York government.
Morales Ángeles acknowledged the extremely limited time the pilot had to react, possibly as little as 80 to 90 seconds, before the incident occurred.
Tragically, two Mexican navy soldiers were killed and 22 others were injured during the event, which resulted in the collapse of all three of the ship’s masts. The incident was captured on video by onlookers and quickly circulated on social media, prompting widespread mourning in Mexico for the lost navy cadets. The deceased were identified as América Sánchez, 20, from Veracruz, who aspired to become a naval engineer, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, 23, from Oaxaca, who dreamed of following his father’s footsteps as a sailor.
New York police reported that the ship lost power as it was departing the harbor for Iceland, causing it to be pulled towards the Brooklyn Bridge by the current. The vessel, standing at 157 feet tall (48 meters), was unable to pass under the Brooklyn Bridge, which has a clearance of 134.5 feet (41 meters).
A member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) expressed uncertainty regarding how the police determined the ship lost power, but confirmed there were no structural integrity concerns related to the Brooklyn Bridge itself. Onlookers described seeing crewmembers clinging to the ship’s masts and beams while awaiting rescue.
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Source: The Guardian
