Breaking News · November 13, 2026, 3:48 PM CST
The passengers were nearly home. Their riverboat had been tied up at the New Orleans riverfront for two hours, and people were starting to walk off.
Then, at about 12:30 p.m. Friday, a tanker called the Atlantic Asphalt slammed into American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage.[1]
Within minutes the five-story riverboat was on its side in the Mississippi River, largely underwater.[3]
Video: CBS News, November 13, 2026 — “Rescuers respond to tanker collision with river cruise ship in New Orleans | full video”. Watch the original for full context.
Who was on board
The American Heritage was built in 2015 and can carry up to 150 passengers. That is where the “nearly 150” in many headlines comes from.[3]
The real number aboard was smaller. The Port of New Orleans says about 129 passengers, plus crew, were on the boat when it was hit.[1] The crew count has not been released.
“It hit us again and we flipped over”
Passenger Rhonda Akers was still on board when the tanker struck.
After the initial crash, it hit us again and we flipped over and I had to crawl over the railing and people to save myself.[2]
She told NBC News her husband was taken to the hospital with a head injury.[2]
From shore, Jamie Holford watched the boat hit the dock and roll. People rushed off and climbed over the railings as it went over. “It looked like something off the Titanic,” he told CBS News.[3]
Video verified by NBC News shows people in life jackets in the water near the wreck.[2] Nearby boats reported pulling more than a dozen people out of the river.[3]
The rescue
Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and emergency medical crews all responded.[1]
Survivors were taken to the Port of New Orleans Administration Building, at 1350 Port of New Orleans Place, for triage.[1]
“Multiple individuals have been rescued, and search-and-rescue operations remain ongoing,” a city spokesperson said.[4]
American Cruise Lines said, “Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved.”[2]
The Coast Guard closed the river to all vessel traffic between mile markers 93 and 96.[4] Gov. Jeff Landry said he was headed to New Orleans, and a senior White House official said President Trump had been briefed.[2]
The tanker
The Atlantic Asphalt carries asphalt and bitumen, according to ship-tracking site MarineTraffic.[3]
NBC News reports that public records show it is based in the Marshall Islands and owned by Chinese and Liberian companies.[2]
The riverboat was docked, not moving, when it was hit.[1] Why a tanker ran into a moored boat is the central question investigators now face.
What’s disputed or unconfirmed
- Injuries and the missing. The Port said the number of injuries “has not yet been confirmed.”[1] NBC News said it was not clear whether everyone aboard had been accounted for.[2] No deaths had been officially reported at the time of writing.
- The cause. Not yet known.[1]
- How many went into the water. Boats nearby reported rescuing more than a dozen people.[3] There is no official count.
What you can do right now
- Stay away from the riverfront near the Port of New Orleans Administration Building so rescue crews can work.[1]
- If you have family on the American Heritage, contact American Cruise Lines directly, and follow the Port of New Orleans and the city’s NOLA Ready alerts for reunification updates.
- Share only official counts. Early numbers in a rescue change fast, and the 150 figure is the boat’s capacity, not how many were aboard.
Where It Happened
Where survivors were taken for triage; the American Heritage was docked on the river outside it. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors.
References
- Mississippi River cruise line collision: What we know amid rescues, massive response (WDSU)
- Rescue underway after a tanker collides with a New Orleans riverboat (NBC News)
- River cruise ship, tanker crash in New Orleans on Mississippi River; rescues are underway (CBS News / AP)
- Emergency crews responding to vessel collision near Port of New Orleans on Mississippi River (ABC7 / ABC News)
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