Mexico mourns killed Navy cadets

Mexicans are mourning the death of two young Navy cadets who were killed on Saturday when the training tall ship ARM Cuauhtémoc crashed into Brooklyn Bridge.

América Sánchez, 20, and 23-year-old Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos were among the 277 crew members on board the Mexican Navy’s sailing ship when its three masts snapped as they hit the bridge.

According to Mexican media, Sánchez was one of the cadets who was standing on top of the rigging at the time of the accident.

Twenty-two other crew members were injured, three of them critically, the Mexican Navy said.

The commander of the Mexican Navy, Admiral Pedro Raymundo Morales, said all the crew members well enough to travel would be taken back to their homeland soon.

The body of América Sánchez is scheduled to be transferred to the Naval Academy in her home state of Veracruz later on Monday.

Her mother, Rocío Hernández, described the 20-year-old cadet as “an exemplary daughter” who was “a dedicated student” aiming to become a naval engineer.

Standing before an impromptu altar adorned with flowers and photos of América Sánchez dressed up for her “quinceañera”, the party marking her 15th birthday, Ms Hernández paid tribute to her daughter.

“She was a warrior, a soldier who didn’t give up, who always fought for her goals,” she said, adding that her daughter only had one year left until her graduation.

“They [the Navy] will hold a private ceremony in her honour at the Veracruz Naval Academy for her and then I will bring her home,” Ms Hernández said thanking all of her daughter’s relatives, friends and teachers, whom she asked “to remember her [América] with affection”.

In San Mateo del Mar, a coastal town in Oaxaca state, friends and relatives of Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos have also been paying their respects after the young cadet was confirmed as the second fatal victim of the crash.

His friends told local media that the 23-year-old had always dreamt of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a sailor.

Being on board the Cuauhtémoc, also known as “Knight of the Seas”, had been his greatest wish, they recalled.

“The sea saw him being born and the sea was a witness to his passing,” one friend to media, adding that “all of us who knew him will remember him as a role model of an intelligent youth”.

The investigation into how the accident happened is still under way.

“This is the start of a long process,” Michael Graham of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said during a briefing on Monday. “We will not be drawing any conclusions, we will not speculate.”

Mr Graham said there was “no significant structural damage” to the load-bearing elements of the Brooklyn Bridge.

His colleague, Brian Young, provided a preliminary timeline of events on the night of 17 May.

• At 20:20 local time (00:20 GMT), the Cuauhtémoc backed away from Manhattan’s Pier 17 with the assistance of a tug boat. It intended to sail south on the East River before heading out to sea, Mr Young said
• After departing the pier, the ship’s astern (backwards) motion and speed increased up to 6 knots
• At 20:24 a radio broadcast was sounded requesting assistance from other tugboats in the area. It was followed by two other requests
• At 20:24 and 45 seconds, the Cuauhtémoc’s mast struck the underside of the bridge
• At 20:27 the ship came to a stop
• By 20:30, New York City police and firefighters arrived on the scene

New York police officials previously said it appeared that the Cuauhtémoc had lost power as it was leaving New York Harbour and was dragged towards Brooklyn Bridge by the current.

Its three masts, measuring more than 48m, hit the base of the bridge, which -according to the New York transport department’s website – only has a clearance of 41.1m.

All three masts collapsed and video footage taken by bystanders shows some of the crew members dangling from the yards and sails.

Mr Graham said that his team would consider the status of the engine during their investigation.

“On behalf of the NTSB, I wish to express my most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy,” he said.

Mexico’s Navy Secretary Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles said in a statement the results of any investigation would be followed with “total transparency and responsibility”.

The Cuauhtémoc left Acapulco, Mexico, on 6 April on a tour that included stops in New York and Aberdeen, Scotland, for the city’s Tall Ships race in July.