All passengers and crew accounted for after New Orleans boat crash in ‘miracle on the Mississippi’

Thirty-two people were taken to local hospitals after the collision, but none of their injuries were considered critical, New Orleans's mayor, Helena Moreno, announced at a news conference. The American Heritage had about 129 passengers and crew members onboard when it was struck while docked at the port to begin passenger disembarkation.

The crash occurred at approximately 12.30pm when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with the American Heritage. Video provided to WWL Louisiana showed the tanker T-boning the side of the cruise ship, which eventually rolled onto its side. One witness, Jamie Holford, told WDSU it took 15 minutes 'from impact to where it rolled over', describing the scene as 'surreal'.

Rescue Effort

Zero passengers or crew members were unaccounted for, Moreno said, attributing this to a multi-agency rescue effort after people ended up in the river. Crew members from tugboats worked to pull people in lifejackets or holding onto flotation rings out of the water, with emergency responders including firefighters, US Coast Guard helicopter and boat crews, and port and city police assisting in the operation.

Investigation Underway

Officials did not immediately provide details about what caused the crash. Moreno said investigators would explore whether there was some loss of steering on the Atlantic Asphalt before it struck the cruise ship, though this had not been immediately confirmed. Maritime law expert Martin J Davies noted the tanker was fortunate to have not hit the Crescent City Connection bridge, which carries about 160,000 cars daily.

US House majority leader Steve Scalise announced that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would investigate the crash. The river had been closed from mile markers 93 to 96 to facilitate rescue efforts, with the US Coast Guard now focusing on reopening it to traffic.

Vessel Details

The American Heritage, a 300ft paddle-wheel ship built in 2015, has more than 80 staterooms and operates cruises on the Mississippi River. The Atlantic Asphalt, an oil tanker built in 2017 measuring approximately 160 meters in length, flies the flag of the Marshall Islands and is owned by Nave Shipping SA, with operations overseen by Singapore-based Thome Ship Management.

The tanker had previously been fined C$7,800 by Canadian authorities in 2020 for a violation of the Canada Shipping Act. Despite the dramatic crash, which called to mind a similar incident in 1996 when a cargo ship struck a wharf injuring more than 60 people, this incident resulted in no serious injuries, with Governor Landry calling it a 'miracle' given the dangers of the Mississippi River.