On a Friday in mid-November, a tanker that had lost its steering drifted into a docked river cruise ship in New Orleans, and the American Heritage rolled onto its side, throwing scores of people into the cold brown current of the Mississippi. It is the kind of accident that reminds a city how thin the line is between an ordinary working river and disaster, and how much depends, in the moments after, on strangers, life vests, and quick hands. That everyone survived is the mercy in the story; why the steering failed is the question still drifting on the water.
New Orleans Port Sues to Seize Tanker That Crashed Into Cruise Ship on Mississippi River
Dozens of passengers and crew were thrown into the Mississippi River when the cruise ship rolled, and 32 people were taken to hospitals, with eight still hospitalized the next day.
"They taught us not to drown."
Mark
Why did the port sue so quickly, just hours after the crash?
Mimi
The suit claims at least $1 million in damage to its terminal, and it led to a warrant that gives federal officials control of the tanker for now. The point is to keep the ship available to investigators.
Mark
The ship's owner is tied to a Chinese company. Does that matter here?
Luke
Careful. The ownership link comes from MarineTraffic, and the owner, Nave Shipping, is registered in Liberia. China State Shipbuilding didn't respond to a request for comment. Nothing reported says ownership played any role in the crash.
Mark
What actually went wrong on the river?
Mimi
The tanker appeared to lose steering. Passenger Joe Knab said it sounded its horn several times as it drifted toward the American Heritage.
Luke
"Appeared" is the key word. The Coast Guard says the exact cause is unknown, and the NTSB is only now sending investigators.
Mark
How did everyone survive when the boat rolled?
Mimi
Crew had gathered passengers on the third deck in life vests. About 100 people went into 66-degree water, and Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said the vests likely saved a number of lives.
Luke
That's her assessment, not a finding. What's confirmed is that all 197 survived, 32 went to hospitals, and eight were still there Saturday.
Mark
And what happens to the cruise ship?
Mimi
Fuel comes off first, 16,000 gallons of it. Moving the boat could take weeks, according to Capt. Melanie Burnham.
The Pulse
- A tanker with failing steering struck a docked cruise ship, and within minutes the vessel was leaning and then rolling over.
- Roughly a hundred passengers and crew were flung into the muddy Mississippi, where 66-degree water made every minute in it dangerous.
- Tugboat crews, other cruise captains, police, and workers rushed to the water while life vests kept people afloat until they could be pulled out.
- The port has gone to court to hold the tanker for federal investigators, while the NTSB works to learn why it lost steering.
- The cruise ship still lies on its side against a terminal, with 16,000 gallons of fuel to be removed before weeks of work can begin to move it.
On a Friday in mid-November, a tanker that had lost its steering drifted into a docked river cruise ship in New Orleans, and the American Heritage rolled onto its side, throwing scores of people into the cold brown current of the Mississippi. It is the kind of accident that reminds a city how thin the line is between an ordinary working river and disaster, and how much depends, in the moments after, on strangers, life vests, and quick hands. That everyone survived is the mercy in the story; why the steering failed is the question still drifting on the water.
Within hours of a tanker losing its steering and ramming a docked river cruise boat in New Orleans, the city's port went to court. The port filed suit against the tanker's owner, saying the ship had caused at least $1 million in damage to its terminal, and a judge gave federal officials control of the vessel so investigators could reach it.
All 197 passengers and crew aboard the American Heritage survived, as did the tanker's crew. Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals, among them two police officers who were thrown into the river when the boat rolled. None of the injuries were critical, and eight people remained hospitalized on Saturday.
The cruise had been finishing an eight-day trip along the Mississippi. Passenger Joe Knab said the first warning was the tanker sounding its horn as it drifted toward them. After the impact the ship began to lean, and the crew gathered everyone to put on life vests. Then the boat suddenly rolled, and Knab and about a hundred others fell into the 66-degree river. Knab spent about fifteen minutes in the water, feeling he might drown, until rescuers reached him. He credited his twenty years in the Navy, and he was still in his muddy jeans, hoping to get home to Wichita.
Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll believes the life vests were the single most important factor, letting people float while rescuers gathered them. The cruise ship remains on its side, and the Coast Guard says moving it could take weeks, starting with removing its fuel. The cause is still unknown, and the NTSB's findings on the steering failure are what everyone now awaits.
Within hours of a tanker losing its steering and ramming a docked river cruise boat in New Orleans, the city's port went to court. The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans filed suit Friday against the owner of the Atlantic Asphalt, saying the ship had caused at least $1 million in damage to its terminal. A judge then issued a warrant giving federal officials control of the vessel for now, so that investigators can reach it.
The human toll could have been far worse. All 197 passengers and crew aboard the American Heritage survived, as did the crew of the tanker. Officials said 32 people were taken to hospitals, among them two police officers who were thrown into the Mississippi when the boat rolled. None of the injuries were critical, and eight people were still hospitalized on Saturday.
The American Heritage was finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations. Passenger Joe Knab told WDSU-TV that the first warning on board was the tanker sounding its horn several times as it drifted toward them. The impact was hard, and the cruise ship began leaning at once. The crew gathered everyone on the third deck to put on life vests and start the evacuation, but the boat suddenly rolled, dropping Knab and about 100 other passengers and crew into the muddy river, where the water was 66 degrees Fahrenheit (19 Celsius).
Tugboat operators, captains of other cruise ships, nearby workers, police and other rescuers rushed in. Knab estimated he spent about 15 minutes in the water. He said he kept bobbing under and thought he was drowning, and that the water did not taste good. He credited his 20 years in the Navy, saying, "They taught us not to drown." He was still in his muddy jeans, wearing a Hilton shirt from the hotel where passengers gathered; the rest of his belongings were in the river, though his cellphone somehow still worked. He hoped to fly home to Wichita, Kansas, but was unsure how Friday's nationwide ground stop would affect him.
New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said that having passengers put on life vests while they waited to leave the boat likely saved a number of lives when it turned into the water. Whether the water is 10 feet or 200 feet deep, she said, getting people into vests so they could float upriver while rescuers retrieved them was probably the best factor in the outcome.
The tanker has been towed from the site, but the cruise ship remains on its side against a terminal, and Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham told reporters Saturday that moving it could take weeks. The first task is removing the 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of fuel aboard safely. River traffic has been limited, though Burnham said boats should soon be able to move both upstream and downstream.
The cause is not yet known. Burnham said the tanker appeared to lose steering, and the National Transportation Safety Board was sending investigators to New Orleans.
The Atlantic Asphalt is 520 feet (160 meters) long and flies a Marshall Islands flag. According to MarineTraffic, New Orleans was its final destination, and it specializes in hauling large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, a semi-solid material used in road construction and roofing. The International Maritime Organization lists its owner as Nave Shipping SA, registered in Monrovia, Liberia, which is a defendant in the port's suit. MarineTraffic identifies Nave Shipping as a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a large Chinese state-owned conglomerate. That company did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
What to watch now: the NTSB's findings on why the tanker lost steering, how the fuel removal goes, and how the port's claim against the owner proceeds.
Notable Quotes
They taught us not to drown.— Joe Knab, passenger and 20-year Navy veteran
The tanker appeared to lose steering, but the exact cause of the crash is not known.— Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham (paraphrased)
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