All aboard survive after tanker strikes docked cruise boat on Mississippi River in New Orleans

Everyone aboard a river cruise boat survived Friday after a tanker that appeared to lose its steering struck the docked vessel on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, causing it to roll onto its side, according to reports from Boston 25 News, 6abc Action News and PBS NewsHour.

Outlets differed on how many people were on the American Heritage. Boston 25 News, citing the mayor, put the number at 180. 6abc and PBS NewsHour reported 197 passengers and crew. Officials said 32 people were taken to hospitals, including two police officers who went into the river, and none had critical injuries. Eight remained hospitalized Saturday, 6abc reported.

"We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi," New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said, according to Boston 25 News.

The tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, hit the American Heritage as passengers were getting off. Passenger Joe Knab told WDSU-TV that the tanker sounded its horn several times before the impact and that the boat began leaning right away. Crew members had passengers put on life vests on the third deck, but the boat rolled and sent roughly 100 people into the 66-degree water, 6abc reported. Tugboat crews, nearby workers, police and others pulled people out.

"I thought I was drowning because I kept bobbing underneath," Knab said, as reported by 6abc. New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll credited the life vests as a key reason for the successful rescue, according to the same outlet.

Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said the tanker seemed to have lost steering but that the exact cause was not known, Boston 25 News and 6abc reported.

Hours after the crash, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans filed a lawsuit saying the tanker caused at least $1 million in damage to its terminal, according to 6abc and PBS NewsHour. A judge issued a warrant Friday giving federal officials temporary control of the ship. One defendant is Nave Shipping SA, the tanker's owner, which is registered in Liberia and, according to the tracking service MarineTraffic, is a subsidiary of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation. That company did not respond to requests for comment, the outlets reported.

The tanker has been towed away, but moving the cruise boat could take weeks, Burnham said Saturday. Crews must first safely remove about 16,000 gallons of fuel from it. River traffic has been restricted but is expected to resume in both directions soon.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it has recovered the tanker's voyage data recorder, PBS NewsHour reported. WDSU reported investigators expect to spend about a week on site and are seeking video of the collision from the public. NTSB member John DeLeeuw said a preliminary report is expected within 24 to 30 days and a final report in 18 to 24 months, according to PBS NewsHour.

Compiled by True News from reporting by WDSU, Boston 25 News, 6abc Action News and PBS NewsHour. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/1078