A tragic incident occurred when the Mexican navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, leading to the deaths of two sailors and injuries to 19 others. The ship was navigating turbulent waters influenced by a strong current and winds, raising questions about captaincy and tugboat escort effectiveness. Former mariner Sal Mercogliano indicated that ideal navigation conditions could have prevented the incident. The investigation, led by the National Transportation Safety Board, is expected to take months to reveal the full details surrounding the crash and its causes.
But footage of the collision shot by horrified onlookers show the ship hurtling into the bridge in reverse at full speed, suggesting the captain lost control of the engine.
The prudent thing would've been to leave two hours earlier, when the tide was going out. That would've been the ideal time.â
Sal Mercogliano, a former merchant mariner, noted that all those 'worst-case scenarios' contributed to the tragedy, including the strong current and heavy wind.
An even deadlier catastrophe was avoided by the ship's steel rigging, which prevented the masts from falling.
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