NEW ORLEANS — A tanker crashed into a docked paddlewheel cruise ship on the Mississippi River on Friday, leaving the American Heritage on its side and largely underwater, but everyone aboard both vessels was accounted for, CBS News reported.
The tanker Atlantic Asphalt hit the cruise boat at about 12:30 p.m. local time near the Port of New Orleans, the port said. The American Heritage had docked about two hours earlier so passengers could get off.
Mayor Helena Moreno said the tanker “lost control.” As passengers were disembarking, the cruise ship “began to sink, and then eventually toppled over and flipped,” sending people into the water, she said.
Thirty-two cruise passengers were taken to hospitals, none with critical injuries, Moreno said. No one on the tanker was hurt. Two harbor police officers were also hospitalized during the rescue and were in good condition.
About 129 passengers plus crew were aboard the American Heritage, according to the port. Harbor police, city fire and police crews, the U.S. Coast Guard and private boats helped pull people from the water.
Moreno called the rescue a “miracle on the Mississippi.”
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Mr. Benton Hickok / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
