On a Mississippi River evening in New Orleans, a foreign-flagged tanker drifted into a docked American cruise ship, and in the space of a few breathless minutes, nearly two hundred people were tipped into brown river water. That all of them survived is the kind of mercy that rescue crews and a sensible life vest can offer, though it does not settle the harder questions now moving through courtrooms and federal offices. The collision joins a long human story of waterways that carry commerce, pleasure, and danger in the same current, and the answers about why a steering system failed remain, for
New Orleans Port Sues to Seize Tanker That Slammed Into Cruise Ship on Mississippi River
32 people were taken to hospitals, including two police officers, and eight remained hospitalized the day after; passengers were in the river for about 15 minutes.
The first warning was a horn, blasted several times.
Mark
Why did the port go to court within hours of the crash?
Mimi
The suit says the tanker did at least $1 million in damage to the terminal. It also helped lead to a warrant that gives federal officials control of the ship for now, so investigators have access to it.
Luke
Worth noting that the $1 million is a floor stated in the lawsuit, not an assessed total. And a warrant giving control for now isn't a finding of fault.
Mark
What do we know about why the tanker hit the cruise ship?
Mimi
Only that it appeared to lose steering. Passengers heard its horn several times before impact.
Luke
"Appeared to" matters. Capt. Burnham said the exact cause isn't known, and the NTSB is only now sending investigators.
Mark
The owner is tied to a Chinese company. How firm is that?
Mimi
The International Maritime Organization lists Nave Shipping SA, registered in Liberia, as owner. MarineTraffic says it's a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
Luke
That subsidiary link comes from a shipping tracker, not from the company, which didn't respond to a request for comment. And nothing so far connects the ownership to the cause.
Mark
What kept the death toll at zero?
Mimi
Police Chief Montroll pointed to the life vests. The crew had passengers put them on before the ship rolled, and people floated until rescuers reached them.
Luke
She offered that as her assessment, and it's credible given what happened, but it's a judgment, not a measured result.
The Pulse
- A horn sounded again and again as the tanker Atlantic Asphalt drifted toward the docked American Heritage, and then the impact came hard.
- Within minutes the cruise ship began to lean, and before passengers could be moved off the third deck, it rolled into the Mississippi with roughly 100 people in the water.
- Tugboat crews, other cruise captains, workers and police raced to pull people from water at 66 degrees, while 32 were hospitalized and eight remained there the next day.
- The Port of New Orleans sued within hours to hold the tanker for federal investigators, and a judge's warrant now gives officials control of the vessel.
- The NTSB is coming in, but the cause of the steering loss is still unknown, and the capsized ship cannot be moved until 16,000 gallons of fuel are safely removed, a process that could take weeks.
On a Mississippi River evening in New Orleans, a foreign-flagged tanker drifted into a docked American cruise ship, and in the space of a few breathless minutes, nearly two hundred people were tipped into brown river water. That all of them survived is the kind of mercy that rescue crews and a sensible life vest can offer, though it does not settle the harder questions now moving through courtrooms and federal offices. The collision joins a long human story of waterways that carry commerce, pleasure, and danger in the same current, and the answers about why a steering system failed remain, for the moment, out of view.
The first warning aboard the American Heritage was a horn, sounded several times as the tanker drifted toward the docked river cruise ship. Passenger Joe Knab remembers the impact as hard, and the ship began leaning almost at once.
The crew gathered passengers on the third deck and handed out life vests, preparing to move them off the boat. Before that could happen, the vessel rolled. Knab and about 100 others went into the Mississippi, where the water was 66 degrees. Tugboat operators, captains of other cruise ships, nearby workers and police rushed to pull people out.
All 197 passengers and crew survived, as did the tanker's crew. Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals, including two police officers thrown into the river. None of the injuries were critical. Knab estimated he spent about 15 minutes in the water, bobbing under and fearing he would drown, and he credited his years in the Navy for keeping him afloat. Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll believes the life vests saved many lives, since people floating while rescuers reached them made the difference.
Within hours, the Port of New Orleans filed suit to ensure federal investigators can seize the tanker, which caused at least $1 million in damage to its terminal. A judge has now given federal officials control of the vessel, which has since been towed away. The Atlantic Asphalt, a Marshall Islands-flagged ship owned through a Liberian company, is a subsidiary of a sprawling Chinese state-owned conglomerate, which has not responded to requests for comment.
The Coast Guard says the tanker appeared to lose steering, but the cause is not yet known, and the NTSB is sending investigators. The cruise ship lies on its side against the terminal, and crews must first remove 16,000 gallons of fuel before moving it, a task that could take weeks. River traffic is expected to resume soon.
The first warning aboard the American Heritage was a horn. Passenger Joe Knab told WDSU-TV that the tanker sounded it several times as the vessel drifted toward the docked river cruise ship in New Orleans. Then came the impact, which he described as hard, and the ship began to lean almost at once.
The crew gathered passengers on the third deck and had them put on life vests, preparing to move them off the boat. Before that could happen, the vessel rolled. Knab and roughly 100 other passengers and crew went into the Mississippi, where the muddy water was 66 degrees Fahrenheit (19 Celsius). Tugboat operators, captains of other cruise ships, nearby workers and police rushed to pull people out.
All 197 passengers and crew on the cruise ship 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 river when the boat rolled. None of the injuries were critical, and eight people were still hospitalized on Saturday.
Knab said he was probably in the water about 15 minutes. He told the station he kept bobbing under and thought he was drowning, and that the water does not taste good. He credited 20 years in the Navy, joking that they taught him not to drown. He was still in his muddy jeans, wearing a Hilton hotel shirt from the place where passengers gathered afterward. 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 the life vests likely saved a number of lives when the boat suddenly turned into the water. Whether the water is 10 feet or 200 feet deep, she said, having people wearing vests and floating upriver while rescuers retrieved them was the best factor in the outcome. The American Heritage was finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations.
Within hours of the crash, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans filed a lawsuit aimed at ensuring federal investigators can seize the tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt. The suit says the ship caused at least $1 million in damage to the port's terminal. A judge issued a warrant Friday giving federal officials control of the vessel for now. The tanker has since been towed away.
The Atlantic Asphalt is 520 feet (160 meters) long and sails under a Marshall Islands flag. MarineTraffic indicates its final destination was New Orleans, and that it specializes in carrying 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 suit. MarineTraffic identifies Nave Shipping as a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a sprawling state-owned Chinese conglomerate. The corporation did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
The tanker appeared to lose steering, but Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said the exact cause is not known. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to New Orleans. The cruise ship remains on its side against a terminal, and moving it could take weeks. First, crews must safely remove the 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of fuel aboard. River traffic has been limited, but Burnham said boats should soon be able to travel both upstream and downstream again.
Notable Quotes
They taught us not to drown.— Joe Knab, passenger and Navy veteran
Having that population put those vests on and float upriver while we retrieve them was the best factor of success.— Melanie Montroll, New Orleans Harbor Police Chief (paraphrased)
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