On a Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a tanker that appears to have lost its steering struck the American Heritage, a river cruise ship tied up at the port as its passengers were beginning to step ashore. Water, fear and confusion briefly turned an ordinary arrival into a scene of rescue, and by evening officials could say that everyone had been accounted for and that no one had been critically hurt. It is the kind of event a river city has long half-remembered from its own past, and it reminds us how much of ordinary life rests on the quiet trust that large machines will keep their course. Th
All Passengers Accounted For After Tanker Strikes River Cruise Ship in New Orleans
Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals with mostly minor injuries, including two harbor police officers, and many passengers lost belongings and access to medication.
A tanker lost steering and hit a docked cruise ship; everyone was accounted for.
Mark
Thirty-two hospitalized, nobody dead. Why is everyone calling it a miracle?
Mimi
Because people went into a fast, cold river, and the ship rolled onto its side. Rescuers pulled people out in plain view of cameras, and everyone was still accounted for.
Mark
What actually went wrong with the tanker?
Luke
Not confirmed. The Coast Guard commander said it apparently had some type of loss of steering. "Apparently" matters there. Nothing official yet on why.
Mark
Tracking data showed it veering right after the bridge, though.
Luke
That's what the data shows, and it fits a steering problem, but it doesn't explain the cause. The NTSB investigation is what will.
Mimi
Tamara Carrasco described the tanker dropping anchor and crew running on deck. That's one passenger's account, but it's vivid.
Luke
Right, and it's secondhand through Paterson's interview. Same with the tulane expert, Davies. He's reading videos, suggesting a system failure. That's informed opinion, not findings.
Mark
And the aftermath for passengers?
Mimi
Lost IDs, phones, keys, medication. Most are out of town, so the city is arranging hotels, food, transport and prescriptions.
Mark
Is there a precedent?
Mimi
The 1996 Bright Field crash at the Riverwalk, also after lost propulsion. No deaths, but over 60 injured.
Luke
Worth noting the tanker's 2020 Canadian fine was for a transfer-operation lapse. Nothing in the reporting links it to this crash.
The Pulse
- A 525-foot tanker with apparently failed steering slammed broadside into a docked paddle-wheel cruise ship just as passengers were disembarking.
- The American Heritage rolled onto its side within about fifteen minutes, scattering passengers into the cold, fast Mississippi.
- Firefighters, tug crews, Coast Guard helicopters and boats hauled people from the water while passengers clung to flotation rings and balconies.
- Thirty-two people were hospitalized with mostly minor injuries, and many lost IDs, phones and medication they now urgently need.
- The river is closed between miles 93 and 96 while the NTSB investigates, and officials say reopening will follow the end of rescue work.
On a Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a tanker that appears to have lost its steering struck the American Heritage, a river cruise ship tied up at the port as its passengers were beginning to step ashore. Water, fear and confusion briefly turned an ordinary arrival into a scene of rescue, and by evening officials could say that everyone had been accounted for and that no one had been critically hurt. It is the kind of event a river city has long half-remembered from its own past, and it reminds us how much of ordinary life rests on the quiet trust that large machines will keep their course. The cause remains with investigators now.
On Friday around 12:30 in the afternoon, the tanker Atlantic Asphalt slammed into the side of the American Heritage at the Port of New Orleans. The cruise ship had docked only about two hours earlier, and passengers had begun to leave. Some ended up in the Mississippi. By evening, officials said every passenger and crew member had been accounted for, and no one had been killed or critically hurt.
Mayor Helena Moreno called it a "miracle on the Mississippi." Thirty-two people went to hospitals, thirty of them from the ship, mostly with bumps and bruises, along with two harbor police officers who had boarded to help. Passenger Tamara Carrasco, a 65-year-old retired teacher, said she was knocked down when the impact sent water pouring into the dining room. A convention center worker recalled gathering wheelchairs and water in case survivors needed them.
The Coast Guard said the tanker apparently had a loss of steering. Video showed it veering after clearing the Crescent City Connection bridge before striking the ship broadside, which then slowly rolled onto its side. Rescuers hauled people from the river in life jackets, and others climbed onto balconies as furniture scattered below. Many passengers, most from out of town, lost IDs, car keys, phones and medication. The city is working to provide food, hotel rooms and prescriptions.
The NTSB will investigate the cause, and the river will stay closed between miles 93 and 96 until rescue work ends. Many in the city were reminded of a 1996 crash that also struck the waterfront, though this time no one died.
On Friday afternoon, at about 12.30pm, a tanker called the Atlantic Asphalt slammed into the side of the river cruise ship American Heritage, which was tied up at the Port of New Orleans. Passengers had started to disembark. Some people ended up in the Mississippi. By the end of the day, officials said every passenger and crew member was accounted for, and nobody had been killed or critically hurt.
New Orleans mayor Helena Moreno called it a "miracle on the Mississippi" at a news conference near the scene, and the officials around her applauded. Thirty-two people were taken to local hospitals, she said, but none of the injuries were considered critical. Thirty of those were aboard the American Heritage and mostly had bumps and bruises. The other two were harbor police officers who had gone onto the boat to help with the rescue. The port's press secretary, Kimberly Curth, said 197 passengers were on board at the time of the collision, and that the ship had docked about two hours earlier to begin disembarkation.
Officials have not said what caused the crash. Coast Guard commander Melanie Burnham, who leads the New Orleans command, said the tanker apparently had "some type of loss of steering," which matched what an emergency response source had indicated earlier. Tracking data from MarineTraffic.com showed an uneventful passage around the bend near Algiers Point. Just after the vessel cleared the Crescent City Connection bridge, it began veering to its right. Video from Mardi Gras World proprietor Barry Kern, provided to WWL, shows the tanker hitting the cruise ship broadside. The American Heritage then slowly rolled onto its side. A witness, Jamie Holford, told WDSU the process took 15 minutes from impact to rollover. "Surreal," he said.
Passenger Tamara Carrasco, a 65-year-old retired Atlanta elementary school teacher, told independent journalist Blake Paterson of Perdido Street.News that she was dining on the first floor when she saw the tanker bearing down. She said it dropped anchor and she could see its crew running along the deck. She ran for the far side of the boat but was knocked down on impact, and water poured into the dining room, which reminded her of the Titanic. A convention center employee who asked not to be named noticed the ship's bow tilting, then heard people screaming for help. She and colleagues gathered wheelchairs and water in case survivors needed them.
The response drew in firefighters, tugboat crews, Coast Guard helicopter and boat personnel, and port and city police. WDSU video showed a tug crew hauling people in life jackets or clinging to flotation rings out of the water. One image on social media showed people climbing on stateroom balconies, with chairs and tables scattered. Louisiana governor Jeff Landry also used the word "miracle" and said the river "is not some quiet pond."
Moreno said many passengers, most of them from out of town, lost IDs, car keys, phones and other belongings. The city and its partners were working to provide food, hotel rooms, transportation and access to prescription medication. Passengers were taken to the port's administration building next to the convention center. American Cruise Lines said guests and crew were evacuated and that it was "deeply concerned for everyone involved."
Tulane maritime law expert Martin J Davies told the Associated Press that local pilots ride ships like the Atlantic Asphalt on this stretch, and that the tanker was moving slowly upriver against the current. For an upbound ship, he said, something must have gone "really badly wrong," and he suggested videos point to a catastrophic system failure plus "super bad luck" that it struck as passengers were leaving. He told WVUE the tanker could have hit the Crescent City Connection, a bridge estimated to carry about 160,000 cars daily.
The American Heritage is a 300ft paddle-wheel ship built in 2015, formerly the Queen of the Mississippi, with more than 80 staterooms. The Atlantic Asphalt, built in 2017, is about 525 feet long, flies the Marshall Islands flag, and is owned by Liberia-registered Nave Shipping SA, with Singapore-based Thome Ship Management overseeing safety and technical operations. It left Paulsboro, New Jersey, on 26 October bound for Singapore. It does not appear on sanctions lists checked by tracking services, but Canada fined it C$7,800 on 11 August 2020 after an officer failed to properly supervise a transfer operation.
Many locals recalled the 14 December 1996 crash of the Liberian-registered Bright Field, which lost propulsion and hit a wharf beside the Riverwalk and Hilton Riverside. No one died, but more than 60 were injured, four seriously. The river is closed from mile markers 93 to 96, and Burnham said the focus now turns to reopening it. The NTSB will investigate; House majority leader Steve Scalise said a nationwide FAA ground stop slowed the team, and the agency said late Friday it would send investigators by ground.
Notable Quotes
This truly is a miracle on the Mississippi.— Helena Moreno, New Orleans mayor
The Mississippi River is not some quiet pond.— Jeff Landry, Louisiana governor
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