“is a miracle on the Mississippi,” said New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno.
All passengers and crew were accounted for after the Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck the docked American Heritage river cruise ship on the Mississippi River at approximately 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, according to officials from the Port of New Orleans.
Thirty-two people receive medical treatment after tanker strike
While the incident caused significant chaos, officials confirmed there were no fatalities. Fox News reported that 32 people were taken to local hospitals, though none sustained critical injuries.
Two New Orleans Harbor Police officers were also hospitalized during the rescue effort but remained in good condition, CBS News said.
The American Heritage had 129 passengers and crew members on board at the time of the strike, according to The Lens. The ship had been docked for roughly two hours to allow passengers to disembark when the tanker hit it broadside, WWNO reported.
The American Heritage is an American Cruise Lines vessel that has a capacity for 150 people and features more than 80 staterooms. The ship was on a multi-day cruise intended to travel upriver toward Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge before returning to New Orleans, CBS News noted.
Emergency response included the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Responders also included Port NOLA Harbor Police and local, state, and federal agencies. CBS News said that private vessels on the river acted as volunteers to assist in getting people out of the water.
One passenger, Rhonda Akers, told ABC News that she had to crawl over railings and other people to reach safety after the vessel flipped, adding that she felt the boat shake and initially thought the captain was moving the ship.
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
A crew member told ABC News that a hole was created in the hull of the boat within the dining room on the first floor.
Other witnesses provided accounts of the chaos. “from impact to where it rolled over” Jamie Holford told CBS News he witnessed the American Heritage strike the dock following the collision. A passenger named Carrasco told Paterson that she saw the tanker heading toward the boat and saw the crew running on the tanker’s deck before the impact knocked her to the ground.
Tamara Carrasco, 65, retired elementary school teacher from Atlanta, was in dining room on the first floor of the New Orleans riverboat when she spotted the tanker careening toward them. It dropped its anchor and she could see its crew running away like ants on its deck. pic.twitter.com/RV2j4QRGn4
Rescue efforts were also supported by the Creole Queen. Captain Brian Clesi, 53, and second mate Ellis “Jimmy” Kimball Jr., 60, used their rescue boat to travel approximately a quarter-mile to the sinking American Heritage. Clesi reported their first rescue was a Harbor Police officer clinging to the stern of the capsized vessel.
Authorities investigate tanker loss of control
The tanker measures approximately 525 feet in length and has a deadweight of 17,764 metric tons. While MarineTraffic.com indicated the tanker’s path appeared uneventful as it navigated the bend near Algiers Point, officials suggest mechanical issues may have played a role.
Burnham said that the exact reason for the loss of control is currently unknown.
“some type of loss of steering” New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said initial evidence pointed toward steering issues with the tanker.
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.
Martin Davies, a maritime law expert at Tulane University, told AP that video of the crash suggested a catastrophic system failure on the tanker combined with “super bad luck” as passengers were departing.
The Coast Guard has closed the river to all vessel traffic between mile markers 93 and 96 while responders assess the situation, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Captain Burnham stated the Coast Guard will evaluate how to reopen the waterway.
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
“The Mississippi River is not some quiet pond, right? I mean, there were challenges out there,” said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry during a news conference.
The incident drew national attention, with a senior White House official stating that President Donald Trump was briefed on the collision. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also noted on X that the NTSB chair called to brief him on the event.
Due to the residual delays from the nationwide ground stop, the NTSB will no longer send a board member and will instead send a team of investigators by ground to the scene of the vessel collision in New Orleans. No media briefings are planned at this time. Updates on the… https://t.co/3s6A2m1YIc
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More on New Orleans
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…
"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
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