Dozen Hospitalized After Tanker Collides With Docked Cruise Ship in New Orleans
The collision occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. near the Crescent City Connection when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage. The riverboat had docked about two hours prior outside 1350 Port of New Orleans Place to begin passenger disembarkation. At the time of the incident, approximately 129 passengers and an undisclosed number of crew members were aboard the vessel.
First responders from the U.S. Coast Guard, Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, and the New Orleans Police Department deployed to the scene to pull individuals from the water. Rescued passengers were brought into the Port of New Orleans Administration Building for triage, while rescue teams worked to locate individuals remaining unaccounted for.
In response to the emergency, the U.S. Coast Guard enacted a partial river closure, halting all vessel traffic between mile markers 93 and 96. The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority also temporarily suspended ferry services across the river as a precaution. Local and federal leaders, including Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and President Trump, were briefed on the developing situation as multi-agency rescue operations continued.
