On a Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a paddlewheel cruise ship that had been resting at its dock was struck by a passing cargo tanker, and it began to take on water and roll onto its side in the Mississippi. It is the kind of sudden turn that reminds a city how much depends on steel, current and steering working together on a river that has carried commerce and travellers for centuries. That roughly 130 people were brought off the vessel, with no one left unaccounted for, is the part that lingers, even as the question of why a tanker struck a docked ship remains open and under investigation.
'Miracle on the Mississippi': All Passengers Rescued After Cruise Ship Struck by Tanker in New Orleans
32 people were taken to hospital with non-critical injuries after the vessel was hit and began sinking, though officials report no one was unaccounted for.
"Zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi."
Mark
Why is everyone calling this a miracle?
Mimi
Because the ship tipped fully onto its side with about 129 passengers and crew aboard, and yet officials say nobody is unaccounted for. Thirty-two went to hospital, all with non-critical injuries.
Luke
Worth noting that "zero unaccounted for" is the officials' statement at a news conference. It's a strong claim, but it's attributed, and the reporting doesn't give a final crew count.
Mark
Who actually did the rescuing?
Mimi
Bystanders started helping people off as soon as the ship took on water. Then tugboat operators, police and other rescuers joined in, with Coast Guard support.
Mark
And the cause?
Mimi
Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham said there seems to be some type of loss of steering.
Luke
"Seems" is doing a lot of work there. It's a preliminary read. We don't know which vessel lost steering, or why the collision happened to a docked ship. The investigation hasn't concluded anything.
Mark
What did witnesses say?
Mimi
Jamie Holford described a sound like tons of steel crunching, and people crying and hollering as they tried to get off.
Luke
That's one witness's account, vivid but single. It tells us how it felt, not how it happened.
O Pulso
- A cargo tanker slammed into the docked American Heritage, and within minutes the paddlewheeler was listing and tipping onto its side in the river.
- Passengers scrambled off the sinking ship as bystanders and tugboat crews rushed in, with witnesses describing screaming and crying on the decks.
- Authorities shut down the Mississippi at New Orleans so rescuers could search the water and move the injured to hospital.
- Thirty-two people were hospitalised with non-critical injuries, and officials confirmed every passenger had been accounted for.
- A Coast Guard captain pointed to a possible loss of steering, but the cause is still unclear and Governor Landry has promised a full review.
On a Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a paddlewheel cruise ship that had been resting at its dock was struck by a passing cargo tanker, and it began to take on water and roll onto its side in the Mississippi. It is the kind of sudden turn that reminds a city how much depends on steel, current and steering working together on a river that has carried commerce and travellers for centuries. That roughly 130 people were brought off the vessel, with no one left unaccounted for, is the part that lingers, even as the question of why a tanker struck a docked ship remains open and under investigation.
On Friday afternoon, calls began reaching authorities in New Orleans about a ship in trouble on the Mississippi. The American Heritage, a paddlewheeler run by American Cruise Lines, had been struck by the cargo tanker Atlantic Asphalt while it was docked. Water was coming in, and people nearby were already helping passengers off before any formal operation took shape.
Port officials said about 129 passengers were aboard, plus crew. Mayor Helena Moreno said passengers began disembarking as the vessel started to list, and then it tipped onto its side. Tugboat operators, police and other rescuers rushed in, and officials closed the river so the search could proceed. The Coast Guard supported the local effort.
The outcome was far better than the scene suggested. Roughly 130 people were rescued, 32 went to hospital with non-critical injuries, and officials said no one was unaccounted for. "We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi," Moreno said.
The cause is still under investigation. A Coast Guard captain pointed to a possible loss of steering, but it is not yet clear which vessel was affected or how it happened. Governor Jeff Landry said ships have run safely on the river for years and pledged a review. The next answers will come from that investigation and the Coast Guard's continuing work.
On Friday afternoon, a little after half past one local time, calls began reaching authorities in New Orleans about a ship in trouble on the Mississippi. The American Heritage, a paddlewheeler run by American Cruise Lines, had been struck by a cargo tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, while docked. It was taking on water, and people nearby had already started helping passengers get off.
By the account of Port of New Orleans Chief Melanie Montroll, who spoke at a news conference, that was how the rescue began: bystanders and responders acting before any formal operation took shape. According to the port, there were about 129 passengers aboard, plus crew. Mayor Helena Moreno said passengers started disembarking as the vessel began to list, and then it tipped onto its side in the river.
Tugboat operators, police and other rescuers rushed in. Officials shut down the Mississippi River to allow the search to proceed. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the US Coast Guard also supported the local effort. Mayor Moreno gave the credit to first responders who, in her words, "literally jumped right in to help."
The outcome was better than the scene suggested. Roughly 130 people were rescued. Thirty-two of them went to hospital with injuries described as non-critical, and officials said no one was unaccounted for. "We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi," Moreno said. Governor Jeff Landry used the same phrase, pointing to the sheer number of people who had been aboard.
The cause has not been established and remains under investigation. US Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham offered an early indication, saying there seemed to be some type of loss of steering. She did not go further than that, and it is not yet clear which vessel the problem affected or how it unfolded. Governor Landry said ships have operated safely on the Mississippi for years and pledged to look into what happened. President Donald Trump, posting on Truth Social, called the rescue an "incredible job."
Witness Jamie Holford described the collision to CBS, the BBC's US partner. He said he saw the cruise ship hit the dock after the impact. "It sounded like a war movie. Just imagine tons of steel crunching," he said, adding that it looked like something off the Titanic. He saw passengers and crew "hollering" and "crying" as they tried to get off while the ship was sinking.
The American Heritage was built in 2015 and has at least four decks. According to its website it can carry up to 150 guests and has a glass-enclosed restaurant, a fitness centre and three guest lounges. It was finishing an eight-day cruise to river destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi when it was hit.
The next questions are about the steering: what failed, on which ship, and why the tanker struck a docked vessel. Those answers will come from the investigation Landry has promised and the Coast Guard's continuing work.
Citações Notáveis
There seems to be some type of a loss of steering.— US Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham
It sounded like a war movie. Just imagine tons of steel crunching.— Jamie Holford, witness
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em BBC News ↗