A developing rescue operation was underway Friday in New Orleans after the Atlantic Asphalt oil tanker collided with American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage, which was docked on the Mississippi River at Port New Orleans. The vessel carried more than 100 passengers, and a later Port NOLA update put the passenger count at about 129, in addition to crew members. That collision turned a river cruise into a major emergency.
NBC News reported that a much larger tanker struck the riverboat near the French Quarter, capsizing the cruise vessel and triggering a major rescue effort. The American Heritage was reportedly t-boned while docked. A river cruise is supposed to be a calm sightseeing trip, not an unwanted lesson in maritime physics, but the scene quickly became anything but calm.
In a statement, American Cruise Lines said, “We are in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities,” and continued, “Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved.”
An update quoted by Fox 8 said the tanker collided with the American Heritage at approximately 12:30 p.m. Friday, November 13. WDSU reported that twelve people were in the water as rescue efforts continued. At 2:10 p.m., New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno’s communication team said multiple individuals had been rescued, while search-and-rescue operations remained ongoing.
Governor Jeff Landry confirmed that he was aware of the incident and was heading to New Orleans as of 2 p.m. Officials have not yet provided the exact cause of the collision, and the number of injuries was not known at the time of the report. That means this is no time for social-media guesswork or political theater. Rescue crews need accurate information and room to do their jobs.
Video from the scene showed the scale of the response near the port. Available updates described passengers and crew being evacuated, people in the water, and multiple rescues already completed. The situation remained active, so additional information could emerge as authorities continued accounting for everyone involved.
Here are the posted video updates and footage referenced in the report:
For now, the focus remains on the passengers, crew members, rescue personnel, and local authorities working through the emergency. The latest available reports confirmed that multiple people had been rescued, but the search operation was still underway.
Source: WLT Report.
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