On a Friday afternoon, a great tanker slipped off its line beneath the Crescent City Connection and struck a riverboat that had been resting quietly at its mooring, a reminder of how much of commerce depends on vessels keeping to their course. The riverboat sank in part, but all 192 people aboard were brought safely off, with 32 needing care in hospitals. That same evening the Port of New Orleans turned from rescue to reckoning, asking federal court to hold the tanker and the companies that own and manage it to account for damage to the terminal where the boat had been tied. It is the familiar
Port of New Orleans Sues Tanker Owners After Collision Sinks Riverboat on Mississippi
All 192 passengers aboard the American Heritage were rescued, and 32 required hospital treatment.
The tanker veered to the right, striking the docked riverboat.
Mark
Why did the Port file suit the same evening as the collision?
Mimi
The filing came Friday evening, alongside an arrest warrant for the Atlantic Asphalt. Seizing the ship is how a claim like this gets secured, and the suit says the Port's costs create a maritime lien against the vessel.
Luke
Worth noting that the negligence language is the Port's allegation. Nothing in the reporting shows a finding about why the tanker veered.
Mark
What's the tanker accused of, specifically?
Mimi
Negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness. The suit calls it an allision, a moving ship hitting a moored one.
Luke
And the court documents say it only appeared to lose control. That's a description, not a cause.
Mark
Who is being sued besides the ship?
Mimi
Nave Shipping SA, a Liberian corporation described as registered owner and manager, and Thome Ship Management of Singapore, the ISM manager. The suit also leaves room for other unidentified parties.
Luke
The ownership details come from what the suit calls publicly available information, so that's the Port's reading, not something independently confirmed here.
Mark
And the $1 million figure?
Mimi
It's a floor. The suit says damage to the terminal is estimated to exceed $1 million, with more costs expected.
Luke
Right, and it's the plaintiff's estimate, with the extent of damage still under investigation. The final number is unknown.
El Pulso
- A 525-foot tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, reportedly lost control beneath the Crescent City Connection and slammed into the docked American Heritage, capsizing and partly sinking the paddlewheel riverboat.
- Rescuers pulled all 192 passengers to safety, but 32 people needed hospital treatment, turning a moment of chaos into an urgent medical and emotional aftermath.
- The Port of New Orleans filed a federal suit in the Eastern District of Louisiana seeking at least $1 million, arguing the Thalia Street Terminal took heavy damage.
- A federal arrest warrant directs marshals to seize the tanker, moving the dispute from paperwork to the physical custody of the vessel.
- Cleanup, surveys, repairs and salvage are still being tallied, and the Port's claim is expected to climb as the true cost of the collision comes into view.
On a Friday afternoon, a great tanker slipped off its line beneath the Crescent City Connection and struck a riverboat that had been resting quietly at its mooring, a reminder of how much of commerce depends on vessels keeping to their course. The riverboat sank in part, but all 192 people aboard were brought safely off, with 32 needing care in hospitals. That same evening the Port of New Orleans turned from rescue to reckoning, asking federal court to hold the tanker and the companies that own and manage it to account for damage to the terminal where the boat had been tied. It is the familiar old order of the river, in which those who are struck seek recompense from those who were moving, and the ship itself is made to answer for the harm it caused.
On Friday afternoon, the Atlantic Asphalt, a 525-foot tanker, passed beneath the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans and, according to court documents, appeared to lose control. It veered right and struck the American Heritage, a paddlewheel cruise ship tied up at the Thalia Street Terminal. The riverboat capsized and partially sank.
All 192 passengers aboard were rescued. Thirty-two of them needed hospital treatment.
That same evening, the Port of New Orleans went to federal court. Its Board of Commissioners sought at least $1 million, arguing the collision badly damaged the terminal, with physical damage alone currently estimated above that figure and further losses still being assessed. The suit names the tanker itself along with Nave Shipping SA, a Liberian company described as the ship's registered owner and manager, and Thome Ship Management, a Singapore firm that handles the vessel's safety compliance.
An arrest warrant came with the filing, directing federal marshals to seize and hold the Atlantic Asphalt. The complaint blames negligence and carelessness for the incident and asks that all parties answer jointly for the damages. The Port says cleanup, surveys, repairs and salvage will keep adding to the bill.
What comes next is whether marshals take custody of the tanker, and how far the Port's damage figure rises as the costs are counted.
On Friday afternoon, a 525-foot tanker called the Atlantic Asphalt passed beneath the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans and, according to court documents, appeared to lose control. It veered to the right and struck the American Heritage, a paddlewheel cruise ship tied up at the Thalia Street Terminal. The riverboat capsized and partially sank.
There were 192 passengers aboard. Authorities said all of them were rescued, and 32 needed treatment at hospitals.
That same evening, the Port of New Orleans went to court. The Board of Commissioners of the Port filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana seeking at least $1 million. The suit says the collision significantly damaged the Thalia Street Terminal, where the American Heritage was docked. It says the full extent of the damage is still under investigation, but that physical damage alone is currently estimated to exceed $1 million, with additional substantial direct, indirect and consequential damages anticipated.
Three defendants are named: the vessel itself, the Atlantic Asphalt MV, along with Nave Shipping SA and Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd. The suit describes Nave Shipping as a Liberian corporation and, citing publicly available information, as the registered owner, ship manager and commercial manager of the tanker. Thome is described as a private limited company based in Singapore and as the vessel's ISM manager, responsible for putting the International Safety Management code into effect aboard the ship.
An arrest warrant accompanied the filing. It directs federal marshals to seize and hold the Atlantic Asphalt.
The complaint attributes the incident to the negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness of the Atlantic Asphalt. It calls the event an allision, the term for a moving vessel striking one that is securely moored. It argues that the ship, Nave Shipping and Thome, and potentially other parties not yet identified who bear responsibility for the tanker's operation, condition, crewing and seaworthiness, are solidarily liable for all damages the Board sustained.
The Port says it has incurred, and will keep incurring, further costs, including cleanup, surveys, repair, replacement and salvage. The suit says those costs result in a maritime lien against the Atlantic Asphalt.
The Port is represented by attorneys Christopher Hannan, Sara Kuebel and Abigail Weiland of the New Orleans firm Jones Walker. Court records show the case was initially assigned to federal magistrate Karen Wells Roby and U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter, the chief judge at the federal courthouse in New Orleans.
What to watch next: whether marshals take custody of the tanker, and how the Port's damage figure moves as cleanup, survey and salvage costs are tallied.
Citas Notables
Physical damage is currently estimated to exceed $1 million with additional substantial direct, indirect and consequential damages anticipated.— Port of New Orleans lawsuit
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