NEW ORLEANS | Tanker Strikes Docked Riverboat on the Mississippi River; All Aboard Accounted For, 32 Treated

Video still: The tanker Atlantic Asphalt against the capsized American Heritage riverboat on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. Video: @blas.armas via TikTok / submitted to The Fostoria Free Press.

NEW ORLEANS — A tanker struck a docked river cruise boat on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, 2026, capsizing the paddlewheeler and sending people into the water near the Crescent City Connection.

The Port of New Orleans said the tanker Atlantic Asphalt collided with the American Heritage, a paddlewheel riverboat operated by American Cruise Lines, at about 12:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. Eastern). The riverboat had docked about two hours earlier and was beginning to let passengers off when it was hit, port officials said.

Video: The Atlantic Asphalt against the listing American Heritage after the collision on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, as people entered the water and responders worked along the dock. Video: @blas.armas via TikTok / submitted to The Fostoria Free Press. The clip begins after the tanker is already against the riverboat; it does not show the initial moment of impact.

The port said about 129 passengers, plus crew members, were aboard. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno later said about 180 to 190 people were on the American Heritage, including passengers and crew. Moreno said all had been accounted for and called it a “Miracle on the Mississippi.”

32 treated, none in critical condition

Moreno said 32 people were being treated at a local hospital, including two New Orleans Harbor Police officers who went into the water after the riverboat capsized, according to The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate (NOLA.com). None of those taken to the hospital had critical injuries, she said. No one was injured on the tanker, Moreno said. Officials had not reported any deaths as of Friday evening, and no victims have been publicly named.

LCMC Health said University Medical Center New Orleans and other LCMC hospitals were treating patients from the collision. An earlier hospital statement said about two dozen patients had been received as of 3:45 p.m. local time; LCMC later said it was treating 32 injured passengers, according to WDSU.

Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said about 87 passengers were able to get off the American Heritage before it capsized, and that the rest entered the water, according to NOLA.com. Montroll said it took about 30 to 45 minutes to get everyone out of the river, with help from harbor police boats, a firefighting boat, tugboats and other vessels.

Moreno said passengers began to disembark after the collision, but “while that was happening, the cruise ship began to sink, and then eventually, the cruise ship toppled over and flipped.” “When that occurred, we started to have people in the water,” she said, according to ABC News.

Large emergency response, river closed

Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department, New Orleans EMS and the U.S. Coast Guard responded. The fire department said it sent a three-alarm response of 23 units and 57 personnel. Passengers brought ashore were taken into the Port of New Orleans Administration Building, where a triage area was set up.

The Coast Guard closed the Mississippi River to all vessel traffic between mile markers 93 and 96, near the Crescent City Connection. “Right now, our focus is on finding and caring for those who were aboard,” the Coast Guard said in a statement earlier Friday, asking mariners and the public to stay clear of the area. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said the agency would work to reopen the river as soon as possible, according to NOLA.com.

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority suspended ferry service across the Mississippi River as a precaution and asked travelers to use other routes. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said he had secured 85 hotel rooms for passengers. Moreno said the Red Cross was on scene and that officials were working to help passengers with lodging, transportation, phone chargers and replacements for belongings lost on the ship, including medication.

American Cruise Lines said in a statement that it was “in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities,” that guests and crew were evacuated, and that the company is “deeply concerned for everyone involved.”

City officials released phone numbers for people seeking information: 311 for callers in the New Orleans area, and 504-539-3266 for callers outside the area.

About the vessels

The American Heritage was built in 2015 and can carry about 150 guests, according to American Cruise Lines. Vessel-tracking data cited by the maritime news site gCaptain showed the riverboat had arrived from Natchez, Mississippi, and docked in New Orleans earlier Friday. The Atlantic Asphalt is a Marshall Islands-flagged asphalt tanker about 500 feet long, according to the Port of New Orleans and vessel-tracking services.

Cause under investigation

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. Moreno said the tanker “lost control and collided into the cruise ship.” U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said there appeared to be some sort of loss of steering on the tanker, but she said the cause had not been determined, according to NOLA.com.

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise said the National Transportation Safety Board would lead the investigation with the Coast Guard, according to NOLA.com. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter told WDSU that NTSB investigators were delayed in reaching New Orleans because of a nationwide FAA ground stop Friday afternoon.

The Fostoria Free Press will update this story as officials release more information.

Sources

• NOLA.com live updates (Port of New Orleans, Mayor Helena Moreno, Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham, University Medical Center / LCMC Health)
• ABC News: Over 30 injured, no one missing after tanker collides with riverboat in New Orleans
• WDSU: All accounted for, 32 hospitalized; Coast Guard and American Cruise Lines statements
• WDSU: Rep. Troy Carter on NTSB delay tied to the FAA ground stop
• The Associated Press: Rescues are underway in New Orleans after a tanker hits a river cruise boat on the Mississippi River
• gCaptain: Tanker Strikes Docked Paddlewheeler on Mississippi River, Causing It to Capsize
• NBC News: Everyone accounted for after tanker collides with a New Orleans riverboat
• WWL-TV: Riverboat sinks after being struck by tanker in Mississippi River