Mexican navy ship that struck Brooklyn Bridge moved for repairs
The Mexican navy ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge last month in New York City was moved for repairs Friday morning. The move halted boat traffic in the area, causing temporary disruptions to ferry service.
The Cuauhtémoc was towed from Pier 36 in Manhattan across the East River to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. to watch video from Chopper 2 overhead.
The U.S. Coast Guard and New York City's Office of Emergency Management coordinated on the multi-agency effort, along with the FDNY and NYPD.
"This effort is the culmination of three weeks of preparation, where we worked very closely with the ship's captain and crew, with marine surveyors, with tall ship experts, to make sure that we have a safe operation today," U.S. Coast Guard Capt. John Andrechik said Friday morning.
Four towing vessels helped guide the ship across the river. Officials said it will undergo repairs at the navy yard before sailing back to Mexico.
"That will depend a lot on further assessments that will be made on the ship," explained Andrechik. "The government of Mexico has contracted with the shipyard to conduct those repairs."
NYC Ferry warned customers that a Coast Guard safety zone would be in place between the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges on the East River, and it was expected to cause delays and cancellations on the Astoria, Soundview, South Brooklyn and East River ferry routes.
2 killed when ship strikes Brooklyn Bridge
The move comes after two sailors, América Yamilet Sánchez and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, were killed and nearly two dozen crew members were injured when the ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17. It had been docked in Manhattan since.
The incident remains under investigation by the Mexican navy and the National Transportation Safety Board, which said it will likely know more about how and why the ship crashed sometime later this month.
Officials said the ship was pulling away from Pier 17 on its way to Iceland when it somehow drifted backwards.
The head of Mexico's navy later said a pilot from New York was in control of the ship at the time and had very little time to react. The NTSB said it's standard practice to have a local pilot help start the navigation out to sea.
