On a Friday in New Orleans, a river cruise ship that was simply tied up at the dock became the unwilling site of a sudden collision, when a tanker that had lost its steering drifted into it and sent the vessel onto its side. In a world where so much depends on machines behaving as expected, the event reveals how quickly ordinary routine can tilt into peril on the water. That everyone aboard survived owes less to luck than to a moment of foresight, when crew members handed passengers life vests before the ship rolled. Now the question of why the tanker failed belongs to federal investigators, w
New Orleans Port Sues to Seize Tanker That Slammed Into Docked Cruise Ship
Thirty-two people were taken to hospital, including two police officers, after passengers and crew were thrown into the river; eight remained hospitalized the next day.
"They taught us not to drown."
Mark
Everyone aboard survived. How does that happen when a ship rolls into a river?
Mimi
The crew had already gathered people on the third deck and put life vests on them. Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said that was probably the best factor in the outcome.
Mark
And rescuers got there quickly?
Mimi
Tugboat operators, other cruise captains, nearby workers and police all rushed in. About 100 people went into the water.
Luke
Worth noting the 15 minutes in the water is Joe Knab's own estimate, not an official timeline.
Mark
Why did the port sue so fast?
Mimi
It wants federal investigators able to seize the tanker. The suit claims at least $1 million in terminal damage, and a judge granted a warrant giving federal officials control for now.
Luke
The tanker's owner being a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned company is notable, but nothing in the reporting ties that to the cause. And the subsidiary link comes from MarineTraffic, not the company, which didn't respond.
Mark
So what caused it?
Mimi
The tanker appeared to lose steering, according to Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham.
Luke
"Appeared" is the key word. She said the exact cause is unknown. The NTSB investigation is what will answer that.
Mark
What's still unresolved on the river?
Mimi
The cruise ship is on its side, the 16,000 gallons of fuel must come off first, and removal could take weeks.
Der Puls
- A tanker's horn blared as it drifted toward the docked American Heritage, leaving passengers almost no time to react.
- The cruise ship lurched, rolled onto its side, and pitched roughly 100 passengers and crew into the muddy Mississippi.
- Tugboats, nearby cruise captains, workers and police raced to pull people from the water while the ship's 16,000 gallons of fuel still need to be removed.
- A federal judge's warrant now holds the tanker Atlantic Asphalt, whose owner is linked to a Chinese state shipbuilding conglomerate, while NTSB investigators work to learn why its steering failed.
- River traffic remains limited, and the cruise ship may need weeks before it can be moved from the terminal where it lies on its side.
On a Friday in New Orleans, a river cruise ship that was simply tied up at the dock became the unwilling site of a sudden collision, when a tanker that had lost its steering drifted into it and sent the vessel onto its side. In a world where so much depends on machines behaving as expected, the event reveals how quickly ordinary routine can tilt into peril on the water. That everyone aboard survived owes less to luck than to a moment of foresight, when crew members handed passengers life vests before the ship rolled. Now the question of why the tanker failed belongs to federal investigators, while the river waits for its traffic to resume.
The first warning aboard the American Heritage was the blast of a tanker's horn, sounding again and again as the vessel drifted toward the cruise ship docked in New Orleans. Passenger Joe Knab, a Wichita man who had spent twenty years in the Navy, later said that was all the notice anyone had before the impact on Friday.
The ship began leaning at once. The crew gathered passengers, fitted them with life vests and started moving them toward the exits. Then the boat rolled, and Knab and roughly 100 others were thrown into the muddy river, where the water was 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Tugboat operators, captains of other cruise ships, dockworkers and police rushed to pull them out. All 197 people aboard survived, along with the tanker's crew. Thirty-two were taken to hospitals, including two police officers, and none of the injuries were critical.
Knab estimated he spent about fifteen minutes in the water, bobbing under and swallowing the foul-tasting river. He still wore his muddy jeans and a Hilton shirt from the place where passengers had gathered, and his belongings were lost. Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll believes the decision to put people in life vests while they waited likely saved many lives.
Within hours, the Port of New Orleans sued to let federal investigators seize the tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, which it says caused at least $1 million in damage to its terminal. A judge granted federal control of the vessel, and it has since been towed away. Its owner is a subsidiary of a state-owned Chinese shipbuilding conglomerate, which did not respond to a request for comment.
Coast Guard officials said the tanker appeared to lose steering, though the cause remains unknown. The NTSB is sending investigators. The cruise ship still lies on its side against the terminal, and moving it may take weeks, starting with the removal of its fuel. River traffic has been limited, but boats should soon be able to pass again.
The first warning aboard the American Heritage was the sound of a tanker's horn, blasted several times as the vessel drifted toward the docked river cruise ship in New Orleans. Passenger Joe Knab told WDSU-TV that was all the notice people had before the impact on Friday.
The hit was hard, and the ship began leaning at once. The crew gathered passengers on the third deck, had them put on life vests and began moving them toward the exits. Then the boat rolled, and Knab and roughly 100 other passengers and crew went into the muddy Mississippi, where the 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 people on 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 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 said he kept bobbing under and that the river did not taste good, and he credited his 20 years in the Navy. "They taught us not to drown," he said. 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. His cellphone somehow still worked. He hoped to fly home soon but was unsure how Friday's nationwide ground stop would affect that.
New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said the decision to put life vests on passengers while they waited to disembark likely saved a number of lives when the boat suddenly turned over. Whether the water is 10 feet or 200 feet deep, she said, having people in vests who could float 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, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans sued to ensure federal investigators can seize the tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt. The suit says the vessel caused at least $1 million in damage to the port's terminal. A judge issued a warrant on Friday giving federal officials control of the ship for now. The tanker has since been towed from the site.
The Atlantic Asphalt is 520 feet (160 meters) long, flies a Marshall Islands flag and was headed to New Orleans as its final destination, according to MarineTraffic. It carries large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, the semi-solid material used in road construction and roofing. According to the International Maritime Organization, it is owned by Nave Shipping SA, registered in Monrovia, Liberia, which is a defendant in the suit. MarineTraffic lists Nave Shipping as a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a state-owned conglomerate. That company did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said the tanker appeared to lose steering, but 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. The first task is safely removing the 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of fuel aboard. River traffic has been limited, though Burnham said boats should soon be able to move upstream and downstream again.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
They taught us not to drown.— Joe Knab, passenger and Navy veteran, to WDSU-TV
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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