A major maritime accident occurred Friday on the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans when a large tanker vessel collided with a passenger cruise ship. The collision left the American Heritage cruise boat partially submerged and listing on its side, prompting an immediate, multi-agency rescue operation. According to one witness, Jamie Holford,, He saw the American Heritage hit the dock after the collision. Ole Miss students speak out after alleged racial harassment in video.
Port of New Orleans officials confirmed that the collision took place around 12:30 p.m. local time. Officials say, rescues were underway.
The cruise ship, a five-story, 150-passenger capacity vessel operated by American Cruise Lines, had docked approximately two hours prior to the incident to allow passengers to disembark. At the time of the crash, the ship was carrying 129 passengers along with crew members. The American Heritage was built in 2015 and is operated by American Cruise Lines. It is five stories and can hold up to 150 passengers.
The vessel involved in the collision was identified as the Atlantic Asphalt, a much larger tanker ship designed to transport asphalt and bitumen. Data from the tracking site MarineTraffic indicates the tanker specializes in moving these heavy substances for road and roofing construction.
Emergency responders from the U.S. Coast Guard, New Orleans Fire and Police Departments, and Port NOLA Harbor Police have been actively engaged in recovery and response efforts. Witnesses reported seeing individuals in life jackets floating in the water, while nearby vessels assisted in the rescue of over a dozen people. Coast Guard launches criminal investigation into MSC Poesia cruise ship over potential “magic pipe.
Eyewitness Jamie Holford described the chaotic scene as the boat rolled over. He noted that the impact sounded like a war movie with the deafening crunch of steel. Holford recounted seeing passengers attempting to climb over the railings to reach safety as the vessel listed further into the river, comparing the visual to scenes from the Titanic. It looked like something off the Titanic,” he said. Just imagine tons of steel crunching.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry confirmed he is monitoring the situation and traveling to the site to coordinate with law enforcement and local officials. As this remains an active scene, investigations into the circumstances of the collision are expected to follow.
