Staten Island, New York — The Secretary of the Navy says Mexico’s training ship Cuauhtémoc has completed its first round of repairs. The ship was heavily damaged May 17 when the Cuauhtémoc collided with the Brooklyn Bridge while leaving the city.
The accident happened after the ship left Pier 17 in Manhattan where it was docked and exiting the harbor. Initial reports said the ship was taken under the bridge by the current where three of its masts hit the bridge and collapsed.
Two crew onboard the Cuauhtémoc training ship died in the accident. Another 20 were injured. The ship was later docked at Pier 35 where a “go team” from the National Transportation Safety Board investigated.
A mechanical issue involving the loss of power that resulted in the inability to steer was being looked into. After the investigation, the ship was transferred to the GMD Shipyard in Brooklyn where it underwent a first phase of repairs.
According to the Secretaría de Marina, the damaged ship has since been transferred to the Caddell Shipyard in Staten Island for the next stage.
“The Cuauhtémoc Training Ship was transferred from the GMD Shipyard in Brooklyn to the Caddell Shipyard in Staten Island, New York, after completing the first phase of repairs.
“With this next stage, work will continue to leave our Ambassador and Knight of the Seas in optimal condition, so that she can soon sail the oceans again with her characteristic majesty,” they reported.
The Secretaría de Marina did not detail the damage the ship sustained during the accident nor did they estimate a timeframe when the ship will return to Mexico.
