All 197 people aboard the docked river cruise ship American Heritage were accounted for on Friday afternoon after an oil tanker collided with the vessel, causing it to capsize at its dock on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
Collision at the Port of New Orleans
The Atlantic Asphalt tanker allided with the docked paddlewheel cruise ship at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time, according to Port NOLA. The American Heritage had finished an eight-day cruise and had been docked for about two hours to allow passengers to disembark, carrying roughly 129 passengers alongside its crew members, port officials said.
The Atlantic Asphalt is an oil tanker built in 2017 measuring approximately 160 meters in length with a deadweight of 17,764 metric tons. The American Heritage is a 300-foot paddle-wheel ship built in 2015 that formerly operated as the Queen of the Mississippi, featuring more than 80 staterooms and five stories with a capacity of up to 150 passengers. The vessel was sailing under a flag for the Marshall Islands.
UPDATE: All individuals involved in today's vessel collision on the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans have been accounted for, with no reported fatalities or critical injuries. For the latest information read the City's full press release at https://t.co/peElpWszmQ pic.twitter.com/jwRPeACPMv
Video footage obtained from Mardi Gras World proprietor Barry Kern showed the larger tanker striking the riverboat broadside and hard, while a restaurant manager aboard the cruise ship recounted feeling the vessel shake and discovering a hole in the dining room wall. As passengers began disembarking following the collision, the ship started to sink before eventually toppling over and flipping completely, sending individuals into the river.
Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said that the first 87 passengers successfully got off while the ship remained afloat. Tankers typically carry local pilots on board for guidance due to their familiarity with local waters, and the tanker had already completed the difficult Algiers Point turn before the crash occurred, according to maritime law expert Martin J. Davies of Tulane University.
WCK is responding in New Orleans, where a tanker collided with a river cruiser carrying over 100 passengers, causing the cruise to capsize. As emergency responders work to bring people ashore from the Mississippi River, WCK teams are on the ground and working to provide meals to… pic.twitter.com/mNGN6NRENo
Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said that the first 87 passengers successfully got off while the ship remained afloat. The tanker appeared to have had “some type of a loss of steering,” but the exact cause of the crash was unknown, according to Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham.
Video footage showed the much larger tanker hitting the cruise boat while docked as metal and glass crashed and crunched, forcing passengers and crew into the Mississippi River. Dispatch audio captured frantic calls about watercraft in distress near the Crescent City Connection behind the convention center as tugboats and rescue ships mobilized.
“It was just chaos,” said Devon Flanagan, a nearby port worker who witnessed the immediate aftermath.
Multi-Agency Rescue Operations
Private vessels that happened to be on the river also volunteered to help get people out of the water. “We have zero people unaccounted for, which is a miracle,” New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said at a news conference, praising the combined efforts of local, state, and federal responders and volunteers.
Passengers were brought inside the Port of New Orleans Administration Building near the convention center for triage, assistance, and reunification.
“I want to recognize the dedication, professionalism and bravery of all those first responders,” Capt. Melanie A. Burnham, commander of Sector New Orleans for the U.S. Coast Guard, said.
Thirty-two people were transported to local hospitals, including 30 cruise ship passengers and two Harbor Police officers who ended up in the water. Officials reported that the injured individuals suffered non-critical injuries, predominantly bumps and bruises, and the officers were listed in good condition.
“We are deeply concerned for everyone involved,” American Cruise Lines said in a statement expressing gratitude toward the U.S. Coast Guard and emergency responders. Dignitaries including Congressman Troy Carter voiced support for the survivors and families affected by the accident.
"Thank you to the United States Coast Guard for doing such an incredible job of rescue, and other work, having to do with the crash of the two ships in Louisiana. Likewise, all of Law Enforcement and First Responders were fantastic…" – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/QKxx9F8QSz
Coast Guard Closes Mississippi River During Steering Investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard closed the Mississippi River to all vessel traffic between mile markers 93 and 96 to facilitate emergency operations, according to Sector New Orleans.
“The investigation is still ongoing, there seems to be some kind of a loss of steering,” Burnham told reporters, as reported by CBS News.
NTSB is launching a Go Team to investigate the collision of a tank vessel and a riverboat-style passenger vessel in New Orleans. The team expects to arrive tomorrow morning. Time and location of media briefings will be posted to this account once confirmed. Board Member John…
The National Transportation Safety Board planned to investigate the crash.
Earlier coverage: Tanker Collision Capsizes Mississippi Cruise Ship With 150 People
More on New Orleans
Earlier this afternoon a tanker hit a cruise ship along the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The cruise ship took on water and eventually flipped. Because of the heroic work of our first responders ALL PASSENGERS have been accounted for. This is nothing short of a miracle.… pic.twitter.com/dol1SsaRcN
NOLAREADY: For information on missing persons potentially involved in today's river collision, call 3-1-1 in New Orleans or 504-539-3266 outside New Orleans.
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