Rescues underway after tanker hits cruise boat near New Orleans, leaving it mostly beneath Mississippi River
Collision Near New Orleans Port
The tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck the American Heritage while the cruise boat was docked near the Port of New Orleans at about 12:30 p.m. local time Friday, Port NOLA said. The passenger vessel had arrived about two hours earlier so passengers could disembark.
The impact left the American Heritage listing and largely submerged. Port NOLA reported about 129 passengers aboard, in addition to crew members.
Rescue Teams Respond
People were seen in the river wearing life jackets, while others held on near the vessel’s railing as it tilted farther into the water. Nearby boats reported pulling more than a dozen people from the river.
Port NOLA said rescue and response work involved its Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard. The account did not give a final number of people rescued or injured.
Witness Describes Scene
Witness Jamie Holford told CBS News that the American Heritage struck the dock after the collision. He said people hurried from the boat, and some climbed over its railings as it rolled.
Holford described the crash as sounding like “tons of steel crunching.” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he was traveling to New Orleans and in contact with local officials and law enforcement.
Key points
- Atlantic Asphalt struck the docked American Heritage near the Port of New Orleans on Friday.
- About 129 passengers and crew members were aboard the cruise boat at the time.
- Local emergency agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard were conducting response operations.