On a clear Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a tanker that appears to have lost its steering drifted into the American Heritage, a river cruiser that had only just tied up at the dock and begun letting its passengers ashore. The vessel rolled over in the Mississippi, and in the scramble that followed, police, firefighters, nearby boats and a redirected drone gathered up the people in the water and on the hull. By evening the counts had settled: 32 passengers and two officers were in hospitals, none gravely hurt, and every person aboard was accounted for. What remains open is why a moving ship f
Tanker Capsizes Docked New Orleans Cruiser; Officials Say All Passengers Accounted For
32 passengers were hospitalized after the cruiser capsized, and two Harbor Police officers were also hospitalized; none reported critical injuries.
"We got everybody," the governor said of the capsized cruiser's passengers.
Mark
Thirty-two people in hospitals, and officials are calling this a miracle. Why that word?
Mimi
Because the ship capsized with people still getting off, and some ended up in the river. Everyone was accounted for anyway, and no one hospitalized was critically hurt.
Mark
Who got to them first?
Mimi
Harbor Police. Then firefighters lowering ladders over the dock, and nearby vessels pulling people out. A police drone that was already flying on a theft call got redirected too.
Luke
Worth saying "miracle" is the officials' word, not a finding. What's confirmed is the count: zero unaccounted for, 32 hospitalized, two officers also hospitalized.
Mark
The passenger numbers moved during the day, didn't they?
Mimi
Yes. Port officials said about 129 passengers plus crew. The mayor later estimated 180 to 190 people aboard.
Luke
That's an estimate, and the gap matters. The roll calls and hospital checks are what the all-accounted-for claim rests on, and we haven't been told the final headcount.
Mark
What do we know about why the tanker hit?
Mimi
Officials say it lost control, and the Coast Guard is examining an apparent loss of steering.
Luke
Apparent, and not yet known. Nobody has said why it happened, mechanical or otherwise. The NTSB team arrives Saturday to find that out.
Mark
And the passengers now?
Mimi
Many lost phones, IDs and medications. Hotels, prescriptions and calls to family are being arranged, with the Red Cross helping.
The Pulse
- A tanker that lost steering slammed into the docked American Heritage near mile marker 96, and the cruiser capsized within minutes of passengers beginning to disembark.
- People were thrown into the Mississippi and onto the overturned hull, forcing firefighters, Harbor Police and nearby vessels to pull them out under pressure.
- Headcounts shifted all day, from roughly 129 passengers to an estimated 180 to 190 aboard, until roll calls and hospital checks confirmed no one was missing.
- Survivors who lost phones, IDs and medication are being sheltered, rehoused and reconnected with family, while the NTSB Go Team prepares to arrive Saturday to determine why the tanker failed to steer.
On a clear Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a tanker that appears to have lost its steering drifted into the American Heritage, a river cruiser that had only just tied up at the dock and begun letting its passengers ashore. The vessel rolled over in the Mississippi, and in the scramble that followed, police, firefighters, nearby boats and a redirected drone gathered up the people in the water and on the hull. By evening the counts had settled: 32 passengers and two officers were in hospitals, none gravely hurt, and every person aboard was accounted for. What remains open is why a moving ship failed to answer its rudder, a question federal investigators will take up once they arrive.
Shortly after 12:30 on a clear Friday afternoon, the tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck the American Heritage, an American Cruise Lines river ship that had tied up at the New Orleans dock about two hours earlier and was just beginning to let passengers off. Officials say the tanker had lost control before the impact. As the ship began taking on water and rolled over, some passengers ended up in the river while others clung to the part of the vessel that remained above the surface.
Rescue came fast. Harbor Police were first on scene, firefighters lowered ladders onto the dock, nearby boats pulled people from the water, and a police drone already in the area was redirected to the wreck. Survivors were then brought to the Port Administration Building, where many arrived without phones, identification or medication. Officials, the Red Cross and the cruise line worked to find them hotel rooms, transport and replacement prescriptions, and to help them reach their families.
The count took most of the day to settle. Early estimates of the passengers aboard ranged widely, but crew roll calls and hospital checks eventually confirmed that 32 passengers and two Harbor Police officers were hospitalized, none in critical condition, and that no one was unaccounted for. Governor Landry called it a miracle, and the Coast Guard ended its search and rescue operation.
The cause remains under investigation. Officials are looking at an apparent loss of steering on the tanker, and the NTSB Go Team is expected to arrive Saturday morning to determine why.
Around 12:30 on a clear Friday afternoon, a tanker named Atlantic Asphalt struck the American Heritage, a river cruise ship operated by American Cruise Lines, on the Mississippi at New Orleans. The cruiser had tied up at the dock roughly two hours earlier and had begun letting passengers off. The tanker, officials said, had lost control before it hit.
Passengers were evacuating when the ship started taking on water and capsized. Some people ended up in the river. Others were on a section of the vessel that stayed above the surface. Port NOLA Harbor Police were first on scene. Firefighters lowered ladders over the dock, and nearby vessels pulled people from the water. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said a police drone already in the air on an unrelated theft call was redirected to the wreck within moments.
By the evening, the count was settled. Mayor Helena Moreno said 32 passengers had been hospitalized, none critically hurt. Two Harbor Police officers were also taken to hospitals and were in good condition. No children had been aboard, and no injuries were reported on the tanker. Moreno said crews ran roll calls and checked hospital lists to make sure no one was missing, and that zero people were unaccounted for. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham confirmed the search and rescue operation had ended. Gov. Jeff Landry, speaking at a news conference, called it a miracle and noted the river is no quiet pond. "We got everybody," he said.
The number of people aboard shifted through the day. Port officials first reported about 129 passengers plus crew. Moreno later estimated 180 to 190 people were on the ship. Early on, University Medical Center New Orleans and other LCMC Health hospitals had received an estimated two dozen patients, before the total rose to 32. Acadian Ambulance said it had moved eight patients and had 15 units and two sprint trucks on scene. The United Cajun Navy said it was on standby at the port.
Conditions were not a factor on the surface. An official release described clear skies, no rain, temperatures in the upper 60s and north winds of 8 to 12 mph, gusting to 15 to 17. The water was about 66 degrees.
Survivors were taken into the Port of New Orleans Administration Building for triage and help. Many had lost phones, identification and other belongings, so officials set about arranging hotel rooms, transportation, replacement prescriptions and ways to reach family. The Red Cross and medical partners assisted, Moreno said. American Cruise Lines said it was settling everyone into hotels and coordinating with the Coast Guard, New Orleans Police and other agencies.
The federal response was quick. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the Coast Guard was supporting local and state responders near mile marker 96. Landry said Moreno called him in Baton Rouge for resources, and he reached Mullin before President Donald Trump called offering whatever Louisiana needed. Trump later thanked the Coast Guard, law enforcement and first responders. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the NTSB chair briefed him, and Sen. John Kennedy and Reps. Troy Carter and Julia Letlow posted messages of support while rescues were still under way.
The cause is still open. Burnham said investigators are looking at an apparent loss of steering, but the exact cause is not yet known. The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a Go Team, expected Saturday morning, with board member John DeLeeuw as site spokesperson. Details of media briefings are to follow.
Notable Quotes
We have zero people unaccounted for, which is a miracle.— New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno
Investigators are examining an apparent loss of steering, but the exact cause is not yet known.— Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham (paraphrased)
Want the full story?
Read the original at Fox News ↗