Tanker Strikes Docked Paddlewheeler on Mississippi River, Causing It to Capsize

Update: Local officials say there are no passengers unaccounted for. More than 30 hospitalized, but none in critical condition.

A Marshall Islands-flagged asphalt tanker struck the docked American Cruise Lines riverboat American Heritage on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, sending people into the water and leaving the cruise ship capsized at the dock.

The 160-meter tanker Atlantic Asphalt collided with the U.S.-flagged American Heritage at about 12:30 p.m. local time below the Crescent City Connection bridge, according to the Port of New Orleans.

Video of the incident shows the tanker striking the port side of the docked river cruise ship. In the aftermath, the American Heritage took on water, rolled over and subsequently capsized alongside the dock. Other video circulating online showed people in the water wearing life jackets as rescuers responded.

Port NOLA said about 129 passengers, in addition to crew members, were aboard the American Heritage at the time of the collision. The mayor’s office said multiple people had been rescued and search-and-rescue operations were ongoing.

American Cruise Lines confirmed that the American Heritage was involved in a collision while it was docked in New Orleans. “We are in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities. Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved. We will share more information as it becomes available,” the company said.

The collision triggered a major emergency response involving the U.S. Coast Guard, New Orleans Fire Department, police, EMS and Port NOLA Harbor Police.

The Coast Guard has closed the river to all vessel traffic between mile marker 93 and 96 while responders assess the situation and conduct response operations.

According to vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic, the 81-meter American Heritage had arrived from Natchez, Mississippi and docked in New Orleans earlier on Friday. MarineTraffic recorded a “proximity event “involving the Atlantic Asphalt at 18:29 UTC, or 12:29 p.m. local time, corresponding with the reported time of the collision.

AIS data shows the Atlantic Asphalt called at Amuay, Venezuela, in mid-October before arriving in Paulsboro, New Jersey, on October 24. The tanker departed Paulsboro on October 26 and arrived in New Orleans on November 11, two days before the collision.

The voyage coincided with the Trump administration’s emergency Jones Act waiver, which permits certain foreign-flagged vessels to carry domestic cargo between U.S. ports. However, the tanker does not appear in MARAD’s latest waiver report. It remains unclear whether the vessel loaded cargo in Paulsboro for delivery to New Orleans, which would generally require a Jones Act waiver, or was continuing an international voyage after discharging some of its foreign-loaded cargo in New Jersey.

American Cruise Lines said guests and crew had been evacuated and that it was coordinating with the Coast Guard and local authorities. Passengers were being taken to the Port of New Orleans Administration Building for assistance and medical evaluation.

The extent of injuries or any fatalities was not immediately known.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. Authorities have not said whether the tanker experienced a mechanical or propulsion failure before the impact.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he had been briefed on the incident and was in contact with local officials as the emergency response continued.

The American Heritage, built in 2015, is a 150-passenger paddlewheel river cruise ship operated by American Cruise Lines. The vessel features multiple passenger decks, private balcony accommodations and a traditional stern paddlewheel design. It operates cruises along the Mississippi River and other U.S. inland waterways.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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