New Orleans Cruise Ship Disaster: 32 Hospitalized After Tanker Strikes American Heritage
A New Orleans cruise ship disaster left 32 passengers hospitalized Friday, Nov. 13, after the Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck the docked American Heritage paddleboat, causing it to capsize and sending passengers into the Mississippi River. The collision occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time (18:30 GMT), according to the Port of New Orleans.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said passengers were taken to area hospitals for treatment, although none had critical injuries. No one aboard the tanker was hurt. New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said two of her officers were also hospitalized during the rescue operation but were in good condition. The American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, had docked near the French Quarter about two hours earlier.
As passengers were leaving, the vessel “began to sink, and then eventually toppled over and flipped,” Moreno said. Private vessels on the Mississippi River joined the emergency response, helping pull passengers from the water. Moreno described the outcome as “a miracle on the Mississippi.”
Cause of New Orleans Cruise Ship Collision Under Investigation
U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said investigators were at the scene working to establish why the tanker lost control. “The investigation is still ongoing; there seems to be some kind of loss of steering,” Burnham told reporters. “The exact reason why, we don’t know that.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it would send a “Go Team” to New Orleans on Saturday, Nov. 14, to investigate the collision. However, after a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stop on Friday cancelled and delayed thousands of flights, the NTSB revised its travel plans. The agency said its investigators would drive to New Orleans instead of flying and that a board member would no longer accompany the team.
The Atlantic Asphalt is an asphalt-and-bitumen tanker designed to transport large quantities of the materials, which are used in road construction and roofing, according to MarineTraffic. The tanker is owned by a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp., a Chinese state-owned conglomerate.
Multi-Agency Rescue Response in New Orleans
The emergency response involved Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard. Burnham said the Coast Guard closed the Mississippi River following the collision and was assessing when it could safely reopen the waterway. The company said it was cooperating with investigators. Built in 2015, the American Heritage is a five-story paddlewheel riverboat with a capacity of up to 150 passengers.
The collision also drew a response from senior U.S. officials. President Donald Trump praised the Coast Guard and other emergency agencies in a post on Truth Social, saying they were “doing such an incredible job of rescue, and other work, having to do with the crash of the two ships in Louisiana.”
Passengers Receive Hotel Assistance After New Orleans Cruise Ship Collision
Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said 85 hotel rooms had been secured for passengers affected by the collision. American Cruise Lines also said it was helping passengers arrange accommodation and providing assistance following the evacuation.
Some passengers lost personal belongings, including phones, identification documents and keys during the incident. The cruise line was working to help affected passengers address their immediate needs. The incident recalls a 1996 collision involving the freighter Bright Field, which lost control and struck the New Orleans riverfront, injuring 116 people.
The circumstances surrounding Friday’s collision remain under investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board are examining the incident, including a possible steering failure aboard the Atlantic Asphalt.
