A terrible accident happened last night in New York City's East River, between Manhattan and Brooklyn. A Sailing Ship from the Mexico Navy, collided with the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge, killing two crew and injuring ~20.
The vessel was at dock and was to set sail south in the East River, into New York Harbor. A tug boat moved the sailing ship from the dock out into the East River, and departed once the vessel was free and clear to navigate. Apparently, the Mexican vessel "lost power" and the swift current of the East River caught the vessel and started moving it NORTHWARD, backwards. Within seconds, the vessel had moved so fast, it headed under the Brooklyn Bridge but its SAILING MASTS were too tall.
All three main sailing masts, filled with crew members, struck the side of the Brooklyn Bridge and snapped sending crew members into the water or left them hanging from the sails which had not yet deployed.!
The vessel masts scraped the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge roadway, and the vessel continued to be dragged (backwards) North, until the vessel struck another dockside in Brooklyn, and came to rest at that dock.
Video shows the horrifying accident, including crew falling into the water, and left dangling from the sails:
Here's the crash from another angle, showing the vessel as it approach the second dock and came to rest:
New York Police Boats, Fire Dept. Boats, and US Coast Guard vessels responded to render aid.
The Mexican Navy sailing ship had all the proper and necessary permits to be in New York City waters at the time of the crash.