On a November evening along the Mississippi, a loaded asphalt tanker that had lost its steering drifted into the American Heritage, a river cruise boat resting at its New Orleans berth, and in a few moments the ordinary rhythm of a homecoming voyage gave way to cold water and frightened hands. Nearly two hundred people were pulled from the river or from the wreckage of their evening, and nearly all of them walked away, a fact that owes as much to a simple life vest and to strangers in boats as to any single decision. The larger story now moves from rescue into reckoning, as federal investigato
New Orleans Port Sues to Seize Tanker That Slammed Into Docked Cruise Ship on Mississippi
32 people were taken to hospital, including two police officers thrown into the Mississippi River, and about 100 passengers and crew were plunged into the 19°C water.
"They taught us not to drown."
Mark
Everyone survived, which seems almost surprising given the ship rolled over.
Mimi
The life vests are the thread. Passengers had been gathered on the third deck and put them on before the boat rolled, and the harbor police chief said that likely saved a number of lives.
Mark
Joe Knab was in the water about 15 minutes. How solid is that?
Luke
It's his own estimate, given to a TV station. Nothing in the reporting confirms the timing.
Mark
Why did the port sue so quickly?
Mimi
To make sure federal investigators can take control of the tanker. A judge issued a warrant Friday giving federal officials control for now, and the port says the terminal took at least $1 million in damage.
Luke
Worth noting that it's a claim in a lawsuit, not an assessed figure.
Mark
The owner is tied to a Chinese state company. Does that matter here?
Luke
That link comes from MarineTraffic, not an official finding, and the company hasn't commented. Nothing says ownership played any role in the crash.
Mark
So what caused it?
Mimi
The tanker appeared to lose steering, but the Coast Guard says the exact cause isn't known. The NTSB is sending investigators.
Luke
And that's the honest answer for now. The fuel removal comes first, and the ship could take weeks to move.
El Pulso
- A tanker that lost steering struck the docked American Heritage with a hard impact, and the cruise boat began to lean within moments.
- The vessel rolled suddenly, plunging roughly 100 passengers and crew into the 19°C Mississippi, where tugboat crews and police raced to pull them out.
- Thirty-two people were hospitalized, including two police officers thrown into the river, and eight remained in care on Saturday.
- The Port of New Orleans sued within hours to hold the tanker for federal investigators, after at least $1 million in terminal damage.
- A federal warrant now gives officials control of the tanker, while the NTSB probes an unexplained steering failure.
- The cruise ship lies on its side against the terminal, and crews must first remove 16,000 gallons of fuel before it can be moved in weeks.
On a November evening along the Mississippi, a loaded asphalt tanker that had lost its steering drifted into the American Heritage, a river cruise boat resting at its New Orleans berth, and in a few moments the ordinary rhythm of a homecoming voyage gave way to cold water and frightened hands. Nearly two hundred people were pulled from the river or from the wreckage of their evening, and nearly all of them walked away, a fact that owes as much to a simple life vest and to strangers in boats as to any single decision. The larger story now moves from rescue into reckoning, as federal investigators, a port seeking to hold the ship to account, and a corporate owner with distant state ties try to establish how a steady river came to be the scene of such an accident.
The first warning aboard the American Heritage was a horn, sounded several times as the tanker Atlantic Asphalt drifted toward the cruise boat docked in New Orleans. Passenger Joe Knab told local reporters that the impact came hard, and the ship began to lean at once. The crew moved passengers to the third deck, handed out life vests, and began guiding them off. Before the evacuation was finished, the boat rolled over, and roughly 100 people were thrown into the muddy river, where the water measured 19 degrees Celsius. Tugboat operators, captains of other cruise ships, dock workers and police rushed to the water.
Every one of the 197 passengers and crew on the cruise ship survived, and so did the tanker's crew. Thirty-two people went to hospital, among them two police officers who were flung into the current. None of the injuries were critical, though eight people were still being treated on Saturday. Knab, a former Navy sailor from Wichita, Kansas, estimated he spent about fifteen minutes in the water, bobbing under and fearing he would drown. His Navy training carried him through. He emerged in muddy jeans, wearing a Hilton shirt, having lost nearly everything but his phone.
Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said the life vests were likely the decisive factor, letting people float while rescuers reached them. Within hours of the collision, the Port of New Orleans sued to keep the tanker in place so federal investigators could examine it, citing at least $1 million in damage to its terminal. A judge granted a warrant giving federal officials control of the vessel for now.
The tanker, 520 feet long and flying the Marshall Islands flag, carries asphalt and bitumen. Its owner, Nave Shipping, is registered in Liberia and is named in the suit; a database lists it as a subsidiary of a sprawling Chinese state-owned conglomerate, which did not respond to a request for comment. The cruise ship remains on its side, and the Coast Guard says the first task is removing 16,000 gallons of fuel safely. Moving the vessel could take weeks, and river traffic should soon begin to flow again. The cause of the steering failure remains unknown, and the National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to find out.
The first sign of trouble aboard the American Heritage was a horn. The tanker Atlantic Asphalt sounded it several times as it drifted toward the docked river cruise boat in New Orleans, passenger Joe Knab told WDSU-TV. Then came the impact, which was hard, and the ship began to lean at once.
The crew gathered passengers on the third deck, had them put on life vests and started working to get them off. Before that could be finished, the boat suddenly rolled. Knab and roughly 100 other passengers and crew went into the muddy Mississippi, where the water was 66 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees 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 the hospital, 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, who lives in Wichita, Kansas, estimated he was in the water about 15 minutes. He kept bobbing under and thought he was drowning, he said, and the water didn't taste good. He credited his 20 years in the Navy: "They taught us not to drown." He was still in his muddy jeans, wearing a shirt from the Hilton where passengers gathered, and the rest of his belongings were in the river. Somehow his cellphone still worked. He hoped to fly home soon but wasn't sure how Friday's nationwide ground stop would affect that.
New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said having passengers in life vests likely saved a number of lives when the boat turned over. Whether the water is 10 feet or 200 feet deep, she said, the vests let people float upriver while rescuers retrieve them, and she called that the best factor in the outcome. The American Heritage had been finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations.
Just hours after the collision, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans filed suit to make sure federal investigators can seize the tanker. The suit says the vessel caused at least $1 million in damage to the port's terminal. A judge issued a warrant Friday giving federal officials control of the ship for now.
The tanker is 520 feet (160 meters) long, flies a Marshall Islands flag, and was bound for New Orleans as its final destination, according to MarineTraffic. It carries large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, used in road construction and roofing. Its owner, Nave Shipping SA, is registered in Monrovia, Liberia, according to the International Maritime Organization, and is a defendant in the suit. MarineTraffic lists Nave 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 has been towed away, but the cruise ship remains on its side against a terminal, and moving it could take weeks, Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said Saturday. The first job is removing the 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of fuel aboard safely. River traffic has been limited, but she expects boats to move both upstream and downstream soon. The tanker appeared to lose steering, Burnham said, but the exact cause is unknown. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to New Orleans.
Citas Notables
They taught us not to drown.— Joe Knab, passenger and 20-year Navy veteran
Having passengers wear life vests was the best factor in the success of the rescue.— Melanie Montroll, New Orleans Harbor Police Chief (paraphrased)
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