A tanker that apparently lost steering slammed into a docked river cruise boat in New Orleans on Friday, sending the American Heritage onto its side in the Mississippi River — yet every person aboard was rescued in what the city’s mayor called a miracle on the Mississippi. The New Orleans riverboat collision happened around 12:30 p.m. local time at the Port of New Orleans, just as passengers were preparing to disembark at the end of an eight-day cruise.
About 129 passengers plus crew were aboard the paddlewheeler, roughly 180 to 190 people in all, according to Mayor Helena Moreno. Thirty-two people were taken to hospital with injuries described as non-critical, and officials confirmed that nobody was unaccounted for.
How the New Orleans riverboat collision unfolded
Video from the scene showed the much larger Atlantic Asphalt tanker moving toward the docked riverboat as metal and glass crunched on impact. The American Heritage began taking on water, listed heavily and then tipped onto its side, leaving passengers and crew scrambling to get off.
Calls about the collision came in around 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, Port of New Orleans Chief Melanie Montroll told reporters. Harbour police were first on the scene, entering the water to pull people to safety while firefighters extended ladders from the dock.
First responders evacuated about 87 people from the cruise ship before it turned fully on its side. Two harbour police officers who helped with the evacuation were among those taken to hospital, and both were released on Friday evening.
A rescue on the river
Moreno gave all credit for the outcome to the first responders who, in her words, literally jumped right in to help. “We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi,” she said at the Friday news conference.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry used the same phrase, praising the rescue given the sheer number of people aboard. President Donald Trump also praised the effort as an “incredible job” in a post on Truth Social.
Jamie Holford, who witnessed the crash, told CBS that he saw the cruise ship hit the dock in the moments after the collision. American Cruise Lines confirmed that its riverboat “was involved in a collision while it was docked in New Orleans”.
The two vessels involved
| Vessel | What is known |
|---|---|
| American Heritage | Paddlewheeler riverboat built in 2015 and operated by American Cruise Lines; about 129 passengers plus crew aboard; finishing an eight-day Mississippi River cruise through Louisiana and Mississippi |
| Atlantic Asphalt | About 520 feet long, sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands; carries asphalt and bitumen; appeared to have lost steering before it struck the docked riverboat |
Neither vessel struck the nearby Crescent City Connection bridge, Landry confirmed. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
What happens next
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation, with its team expected to arrive in New Orleans on Saturday morning. The investigators’ travel was delayed by the nationwide ground stop that halted departures across the United States on Friday after an air traffic control communications failure.
The Coast Guard said the tanker appeared to have suffered some type of loss of steering, and a river pilot from the New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association was aboard the tanker at the time of the crash. Officials have not said when the American Heritage might be refloated or whether the cruise line will alter upcoming sailings.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What happened in the New Orleans riverboat collision?
A: The tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck the docked paddlewheeler American Heritage at the Port of New Orleans around 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday, 13 November 2026. The riverboat took on water and ended up on its side in the Mississippi River.
Q: How many people were on the American Heritage?
A: About 129 passengers plus crew, or roughly 180 to 190 people in total, according to New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno. Every person aboard was accounted for after the rescue.
Q: Was anyone killed or seriously hurt?
A: No. There were no deaths, and none of the 32 people taken to hospital had critical injuries. Two harbour police officers who helped with the evacuation were hospitalised and released on Friday evening.
Q: What caused the tanker to hit the riverboat?
A: The cause is still under investigation. The US Coast Guard said the tanker appeared to have lost steering, and a river pilot was aboard the tanker when the collision happened.
Q: What happens next?
A: The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and was due to send a team to New Orleans on Saturday morning. American Cruise Lines has confirmed the collision and the investigation is under way.
