New Orleans Tanker Collision Capsizes Cruise Ship and Triggers Rescues

New Orleans Tanker Collision Capsizes Cruise Ship and Triggers Rescues

Around 130 people were rescued from a cruise ship after it was struck by a tanker while docked in New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday. Everyone aboard both vessels has been accounted for and no fatalities were reported following the collision on the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans, where a much larger oil tanker struck the paddlewheel cruise ship American Heritage, leaving it on its side and largely submerged.

That positive accounting eases the immediate terror of the disaster, which unfolded at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time while the 129-passenger river vessel was docked outside the Port of New Orleans Administration Building. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno stated in a late Friday news briefing that 32 passengers were taken to area hospitals for treatment, though none sustained critical injuries. No one aboard the tanker was hurt, while New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll reported that two of her officers were hospitalized during the rescue operation and were in good condition.

How the Atlantic Asphalt Lost Control

The incoming tanker, the Marshall Islands-flagged Atlantic Asphalt, lost control, according to Mayor Moreno. As passengers were disembarking from the cruise ship, it began to sink, and then eventually toppled over and flipped, sending people into the river. Witnesses described a terrifying scene on the water. Jamie Holford told CBS News that the impact sounded like a war movie. Just imagine tons of steel crunching. That's what it sounded like. Holford saw people hurrying off the boat and climbing over the railings as the vessel rolled over.

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham told reporters that investigators were working to determine what caused the ship to lose control. The investigation is still ongoing, there seems to be some kind of a loss of steering, Burnham said. The exact reason why, we don't know that. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it was sending a Go Team to the scene Saturday to begin its own inquiry.

The Associated Press reports that the tanker is owned by a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a sprawling Chinese state-owned conglomerate, according to the live shipping tracker MarineTraffic, and specializes in carrying asphalt and bitumen. The American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, was built in 2015, stands five stories tall, and can hold up to 150 passengers.

A Sprawling Rescue Mission on the Mississippi

Passengers were seen in the water wearing life jackets or standing near the railing as the other side of the ship listed farther into the water. Nearby boats reported rescuing more than a dozen people from the water. Mayor Moreno praised local citizens, noting that private vessels happening to be on the river at the time responded as volunteers to try and get people out of the water.

Emergency responders from Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard rushed to the scene. Mayor Moreno described the successful rescue operation as a miracle on the Mississippi. President Trump praised the response in a Truth Social post, writing that the Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies were doing such an incredible job of rescue, and other work, having to do with the crash of the two ships in Louisiana.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry headed directly to the scene, while city officials through the NOLA Ready preparedness campaign urged the public to avoid the area near the city's Convention Center and the Audubon Aquarium. To facilitate rescue operations, the U.S. Coast Guard imposed a strict closure across a three-mile stretch of the Mississippi River between mile markers 93 and 96. Capt. Burnham stated that officials were working to evaluate how to reopen the river as soon as possible.

That shutdown halts commercial and tourist navigation near the heart of New Orleans, blocking a vital shipping corridor. Historical context shows the gravity of the disruption: local records note that this could stand as the most serious accident along that specific stretch of the river since 1996, when a cargo ship struck the Riverwalk Marketplace shopping mall and injured 66 people.

If you are looking for loved ones who were aboard the American Heritage or need to check local transit and traffic restrictions in New Orleans, officials advise taking the following steps based on active emergency guidance:

• Avoid the waterfront zone between the Central Business District and the Warehouse District, including the area near the Convention Center, to allow emergency vehicles unimpeded access.
• Monitor alerts from NOLA Ready for official updates regarding family reunification points at the Port of New Orleans Administration Building.
• Check with American Cruise Lines directly for passenger manifest and support updates as emergency personnel complete headcounts.