Miracle on the Mississippi: Tanker Slams Docked River Cruiser, All Hands Accounted For

 Miracle on the Mississippi: Tanker Slams Docked River Cruiser, All Hands Accounted For

A 500-foot asphalt tanker lost control on the Mississippi River in New Orleans Friday afternoon and slammed broadside into a docked American Cruise Lines paddlewheeler, flipping the smaller vessel onto its side and sending passengers into the water. Every person aboard has been accounted for.

The Atlantic Asphalt, a Marshall Islands-flagged bitumen carrier heading upriver empty to load cargo, struck the American Heritage around 12:30 p.m. near the Port of New Orleans, just below the Crescent City Connection. The 295-foot riverboat had docked about two hours earlier so its roughly 129 passengers could disembark. Video from the scene shows the tanker driving hard into the port side of the stationary cruise ship, which then listed, took on water, and capsized against the dock.

Passengers and crew scrambled into life vests. Some climbed onto decks and railings as the boat rolled; others went into the river. Nearby vessels pulled more than a dozen people from the water while Coast Guard boats, New Orleans Harbor Police, firefighters, and port authorities worked the scene. Louisiana National Guard personnel were also on site. Ferry service was suspended and the Coast Guard closed the river to all traffic between mile markers 93 and 96.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said 32 people were taken to local hospitals, none with critical injuries. That number includes two Harbor Police officers who entered the water. “We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi,” Moreno told reporters. No one on the tanker was hurt. American Cruise Lines confirmed guests and crew were evacuated and said it was coordinating with authorities.

Tracking data and river sources indicate the tanker made a hard turn toward the east bank, possibly after a steering or power failure, with the river’s current helping carry it into the docked ship. The cause remains under investigation. The Atlantic Asphalt is owned by a Liberian firm and has run the Mississippi before.

Governor Jeff Landry said he was in contact with local officials and law enforcement as the response unfolded. What could have been a mass-casualty event on one of America’s busiest commercial waterways instead ended with every passenger and crew member located and only non-critical injuries. The rapid, coordinated work by local first responders and the Coast Guard is what kept it that way.