Tanker Hits Docked Cruise Ship in New Orleans; All Aboard Rescued

A tanker struck a docked river cruise ship on the Mississippi River at New Orleans on Friday, sending passengers into the water as the vessel rolled onto its side — yet every person aboard both ships was accounted for, in what the city’s mayor called a “miracle on the Mississippi”.

The 520-foot tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck the American Heritage at about 12:30 p.m. local time (18:30 GMT) on Friday 13 November, the Port of New Orleans said. The paddlewheel riverboat, operated by American Cruise Lines, had docked about two hours earlier at the end of an eight-day cruise through Louisiana and Mississippi, and passengers were disembarking when the tanker hit.

A collision at the dock

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said the tanker “lost control” and crashed into the cruise ship. “It began to sink, and then eventually toppled over and flipped,” she said, sending people into the water. Local television showed passengers in life jackets in the river and others clinging to railings as the five-deck vessel, built in 2015 and able to carry up to 150 passengers, listed farther onto its side.

About 129 passengers were aboard, plus crew, according to the port. Nearby boats rescued more than a dozen people from the water, and harbour police, firefighters, city police and the US Coast Guard joined the rescue, along with private vessels that happened to be on the river. “Along with local and federal agencies, private vessels … responded as volunteers to try and get people out of the water,” Moreno said.

Reuters reported that the Coast Guard closed all river traffic in the vicinity after the collision.

“Miracle on the Mississippi”

By late Friday afternoon, officials confirmed that everyone aboard both vessels had been accounted for and that there were no fatalities. “At this moment, the information that we have, we have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi,” Moreno said.

Thirty-two passengers were taken to area hospitals, but none had critical injuries, the mayor said. No one aboard the tanker was hurt. Two harbour police officers were also hospitalised during the rescue but were in good condition, Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said.

On Truth Social, President Donald Trump praised the Coast Guard and other agencies for “doing such an incredible job of rescue”. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on social media that “we are throwing every asset we have to helping rescue missing passengers”.

What caused the tanker to lose control

Investigators have not established what caused the collision. US Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham said investigators were on scene and that early indications pointed to a steering failure. “The investigation is still ongoing, there seems to be some kind of a loss of steering,” Burnham told reporters. “The exact reason why, we don’t know that.”

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a “Go Team” to the scene on Saturday to begin its own investigation. The Coast Guard said it was working to reopen the river as soon as possible.

The Associated Press reported, citing the live shipping tracker MarineTraffic, that the tanker is owned by a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a Chinese state-owned conglomerate. The tanker carries large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, a semisolid substance used for road construction and roofing.

Witness Jamie Holford told CBS News he saw people hurrying off the boat before it rolled over. “It looked like something off the Titanic,” he said. Asked what the collision sounded like, he said: “It sounded like a war movie. Just imagine tons of steel crunching.”

A grim day for American travellers

Friday was already a difficult day for American travellers. Hours before the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all departing flights nationwide after an air-traffic-control communications failure — the second nationwide ground stop of all departures since the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The riverboat collision added a second transport emergency in a single day, in a week of upheaval for American travel — from JetBlue’s decision to cut 13 international routes to the news that the SS United States was sunk off Florida to become the world’s largest artificial reef.

Frequently asked questions

How many people were aboard the American Heritage?

About 129 passengers, in addition to crew members, were aboard when the Atlantic Asphalt struck, according to the Port of New Orleans. Everyone aboard both vessels was accounted for.

Were there any deaths in the New Orleans cruise ship collision?

No. Officials reported no fatalities. Thirty-two passengers were taken to hospital, none with critical injuries, and two harbour police officers were also hospitalised in good condition.

What caused the tanker to hit the cruise ship?

The cause is under investigation. The Coast Guard said early indications pointed to a loss of steering aboard the tanker, and the National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to New Orleans to investigate.