A tanker struck a river cruise boat carrying about 130 passengers on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, partially submerging the vessel and prompting a major rescue effort. The American Heritage, managed by American Cruise Lines, was T-boned by the much larger tanker while docked near the French Quarter around 12:30 p.m. local time, according to a company spokesperson and NBC News affiliate WDSU. Video verified by NBC News showed people in life jackets in the water near the crash site, and it was not immediately clear whether all passengers and crew had been accounted for.
The company said in a statement that it was working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities, and that guests and crew had been evacuated. A passenger, Rhonda Akers, told NBC News that the vessel was struck a second time and flipped, and that she had to crawl over the railing and other people to save herself. She said her husband had been hospitalized with a head injury. The riverboat had been docked in the port for about two hours before the collision, and investigators were working to determine its cause.S3
A three-mile stretch of the river was closed to traffic while responders assessed the situation, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Krystal Wolfe said in a statement. President Trump was briefed on the collision, a senior White House official said, and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he was in contact with local officials and law enforcement and was headed to New Orleans. Public records show the tanker, Atlantic Asphalt, is based in the Marshall Islands and owned by Chinese and Liberian companies.S1S3
