This past week, a tragic accident happened when the Mexican Navy’s training ship, Cuauhtémoc, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, claiming the lives of a young naval cadet and a sailor while also leaving others seriously injured.
To the families of the crew members who we lost — América Sánchez and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos — to their shipmates, and to all who mourn: New York City grieves with you, and we honor the young people who lost their lives in service.
In the days leading up to the accident, hundreds of New Yorkers came to visit the Cuauhtémoc when it was docked at the South Street Seaport. We quickly understood that this vessel is more than just a ship. For the people of Mexico, the immigrant community in the New York area, and the young cadets and sailors aboard, it is a floating symbol of national pride, peace, and goodwill.
The ship’s visit to our harbor was a gesture of friendship between our nations as well as between Mexico and New York City, and it was an opportunity for Mexican Americans in our city to connect with a powerful symbol of their heritage.
For many New Yorkers of Mexican origin, seeing the Cuauhtémoc sail into our harbor was a proud and emotional moment. It connected their lives here with their roots. You could see it in the joy of the families who came to the Seaport to take photos with the ship, sharing them with pride across social media.
As commissioner, and as the highest-ranking Mexican American in our city’s government, I had the honor of visiting the ship with other city officials just days before the incident. The crew warmly welcomed us. The cadets, some not much older than our own high school graduates, were full of curiosity and excitement about visiting New York. They asked about my own journey, about the lives of Mexican families here, and what this city means to our community.
As the mayor, when I heard about the crash on Saturday night, my initial thoughts were on the safety of the crew and how their loved ones must be feeling. When I was at the scene of the accident, I saw how the Mexican community showed up and cheered on the survivors and first responders as they worked to bring everyone to safety.
At a moment of chaos on Saturday night, the Fire Department of the City of New York, the New York City Police Department, New York City Emergency Management, New York City Department of Transportation, and the Coast Guard demonstrated what a quick and efficient emergency response looks like.
The Coast Guard even noted that thanks to the quick actions of our city agencies, they did not need to worry about providing a significant amount of assistance on recovery efforts, as they typically need to do in other cities.
While this incident has cast a dark shadow on our city, our crews did everything they could to help with the emergency and help the injured individuals. We also assisted with the service members’ journey back home from John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Just yesterday, we held hands with community members and mourned together at a vigil at the site of the accident in Brooklyn, as we celebrated the lives of the two souls we lost and prayed for their families.
And as the flags at our city buildings flew at half-staff throughout the day, we reminded New Yorkers that we stand in solidarity with all of the loved ones of the victims as well as the individuals who are continuing to receive medical care after the accident. We continue to pray for their speedy recovery.
The exchanges we have had since Saturday remind us of what makes New York so special: We are a city where cultures from around the world can come together and support each other. This is especially important to our immigrant communities and to the generations of New Yorkers born to immigrants from around the world.
As the mayor of the City of New York and the commissioner of immigrant affairs, and as leaders of a city with one of the largest Mexican communities outside of Mexico, we mourn deeply with the families, shipmates, and the people of Mexico.
Adams is mayor of New York and Castro is commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.
