The Cuauhtémoc ship was being piloted by a New York harbor pilot when it collided: Semar

MEXICO CITY (pro).- The decision on the maneuvers and necessary means that led to the collision of the Cuauhtémoc ship with the Brooklyn Bridge, in which two cadets died, was made by the specialized harbor pilot of the New York government, assured the Secretary of the Navy, Raymundo Morales.

"Two of the injured are still in New York. Their families are traveling to be with them. They are doing well, their lives are not in danger, and they will probably be released tomorrow. The two who died, unfortunately, were transferred to Mexico yesterday. They were received in Veracruz. A posthumous tribute was held for them at the Heroic Naval Military School with their families, and their bodies were returned to them. Their families are already holding the funeral services."

At the presidential conference, he stated that "every maneuver the ship makes from the moment it leaves the dock until the collision is under the control of the pilot. Who decides how the maneuver is carried out and what means of assistance will be used? It's precisely the harbor pilot."

He also asked not to speculate or determine whether the pilot used the resources appropriately. "What we can say is that he had little time to do so because the distance from where the ship was docked to the bridge was very short, so the pilot did what he considered necessary to safely maneuver the ship."

He added that in this case, the U.S. Transportation Security Agency, the Coast Guard, and insurance adjusters will determine the causes and responsibilities.

Regarding whether the pilot had time to alert the emergency services earlier, he stated: "We can't determine that at this time. They had between 80 and 90 seconds to react, so we can't say... We have to analyze whether that time was sufficient given the wind, current, and distance conditions."

Regarding the date for the results of the investigations, he noted that the U.S. Transportation Safety Board (TSB) indicates that at least 30 days are needed to obtain preliminary information, and they are therefore coordinating with U.S. authorities.

The head of the Navy praised the treatment of the families of the cadets on board, as well as the assistance of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, "who helped us get the injured to hospitals. We only had four seriously injured, of whom, unfortunately, two died."

The Cuauhtémoc ship, he explained, has a training mission and is also an ambassador, with trips carried out in accordance with international standards, but in New York the ship must be controlled by a specialized harbor pilot from that government.