A tanker called the Atlantic Asphalt crashed into the American Heritage, a docked American Cruise Lines paddlewheel riverboat, on the Mississippi River in New Orleans at about 12:30pm local time on Friday, November 13, 2026, and the riverboat rolled over at the dock.[1][3][4][6] About 129 passengers plus crew were on board. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said everyone has been accounted for, 32 people were taken to hospital with no critical injuries, and no deaths have been reported. The cause is under investigation.[1][11][12]
 | |
| Date | Friday, November 13, 2026[1][3] |
|---|---|
| Time | About 12:30pm CST (18:30 UTC)[1][3][6] |
| Place | Port of New Orleans, near the Crescent City Connection bridge, Mississippi River mile marker 96[1][5][6] |
| Tanker | Atlantic Asphalt, Marshall Islands flag[2][6] |
| Riverboat | American Heritage, American Cruise Lines, docked[1][2][4] |
| On board | About 129 passengers plus crew[1][3][4] |
| Riverboat status | Capsized at the dock[2][3][6] |
| Casualties | 32 taken to hospital, none critical; no deaths reported; nobody unaccounted for (mayor)[1][11][12] |
| River | Closed between mile markers 93 and 96[1][5][7] |
| Investigation | No lead agency named publicly yet; Rep. Troy Carter says the NTSB is trying to get there[13] |
| Cause | Under investigation; the mayor said the tanker "lost control"[11][12] [2][6] |
What happened
The American Heritage had tied up at the Port of New Orleans about two hours before the crash so its passengers could start getting off at the end of a river cruise.[1][3][4] At about 12:30pm the Atlantic Asphalt, a much bigger tanker, hit it side on while it was still docked.[2][3][6] The port said about 129 passengers were aboard at that moment, in addition to crew.[1][4][7]
Video from the riverfront shows the paddlewheeler taking on water, leaning over and then rolling onto its side next to the dock. People in life jackets could be seen in the river, and tugboat and other boat crews nearby pulled people out of the water.[2][4][6][7] The crash happened on the New Orleans side of the river, close to the Crescent City Connection bridge.[1][6]
The two ships
The American Heritage is a five deck paddlewheel cruise ship built in 2015. It carries up to 150 guests and sails the Mississippi and other US rivers for American Cruise Lines.[4][6][7] The Atlantic Asphalt is a Marshall Islands flagged tanker built to carry asphalt and bitumen, the thick tar used for roads and roofing.[2][4][6] NBC News reported that public records show it is owned by Chinese and Liberian companies.[2]
The tanker is much larger than the riverboat, and the American Heritage was tied up at the dock when it was hit, so it had no way to move out of the path.[2][4][6]
Rescue and response
Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department, the US Coast Guard and emergency medical crews all responded.[1][5][7] People brought ashore were taken into the Port of New Orleans administration building at 1350 Port of New Orleans Place for triage.[1][5][6] Acadian Ambulance said it had taken eight patients to hospital and had 15 units at the scene, and WDSU later reported, citing city officials, that more than a dozen people had been taken to hospitals.[1][5][9]
Mayor Helena Moreno's office said several people had been rescued and that search and rescue was still going on.[1][7] Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he was in contact with local officials and was travelling to New Orleans, and a senior White House official said President Trump had been briefed.[1][2][4][5] American Cruise Lines said guests and crew had been evacuated and that it was working with the Coast Guard and local authorities.[2][5][7]
Update, Friday evening: At a press conference, Mayor Moreno said the tanker "lost control and then collided into the cruise ship". Passengers had started to get off, but the riverboat began to sink and then flipped over, putting people in the water.[11][12] She said 32 people were taken to hospital, none of them with critical injuries, and that "we have zero people unaccounted for", calling it "a miracle on the Mississippi".[1][11][12] LCMC Health, which runs University Medical Center, is treating the injured passengers.[1] No deaths have been reported.[11][12]
The Coast Guard closed the Mississippi to all ship traffic between mile markers 93 and 96 while crews worked, which covers about three miles of the busy port stretch.[1][2][5][7]
What we do not know yet
Earlier in the afternoon, some reports said a dozen or more people were unaccounted for. The mayor's count later in the day was that nobody is unaccounted for, 32 people went to hospital and none are in critical condition.[1][11][12] Still not confirmed: what made the tanker lose control, which agency will lead the investigation, when the Coast Guard will reopen the river and how salvage crews will deal with the capsized riverboat. We are not naming any passengers or crew.
The investigation
Investigators are working out why the tanker hit the riverboat. The mayor said it "lost control", but officials have not said whether that was a power, steering or other failure.[11][12][2][6]
Neither the Coast Guard nor the National Transportation Safety Board had publicly named a lead agency when we checked. Louisiana congressman Troy Carter told WDSU the NTSB was "desperately trying to get here" but was slowed because the FAA had grounded flights nationwide on Friday afternoon over air traffic control communication problems.[13][14]
New Orleans has been here before. On December 14, 1996, the loaded cargo ship Bright Field lost power while sailing down the river through New Orleans and hit the Poydras Street wharf, damaging the Riverwalk shopping centre and the Hilton Riverside hotel. Nobody was killed, but the NTSB counted 62 injuries during the evacuations, and it blamed the ship operator's poor management of engine maintenance.[8][10] There is no known link between that crash and Friday's.[8]
What to watch next
- Updates on the 32 people in hospital, and any change to the official count.
- Whether the NTSB sends a team, and when the Coast Guard reopens the river between mile markers 93 and 96.
- Whether the capsized riverboat leaks fuel, and how salvage crews plan to right it.
- Statements from the tanker's owners or managers.
FAQ
What happened in New Orleans today?
On Friday, November 13, 2026, the tanker Atlantic Asphalt hit the docked river cruise ship American Heritage on the Mississippi River at about 12:30pm, and the riverboat capsized at the dock.[1][3][6]
How many people were on the riverboat?
About 129 passengers plus crew, according to the Port of New Orleans.[1][3][4]
Was anyone killed?
No deaths have been reported. Mayor Helena Moreno said 32 people were taken to hospital, none with critical injuries, and that nobody is unaccounted for.[1][11][12]
Who is investigating the New Orleans riverboat crash?
No agency had publicly said it is leading the inquiry at the time of this update. Rep. Troy Carter said the NTSB was trying to reach New Orleans despite the nationwide flight ground stop.[13][14]
Which cruise line was involved?
American Cruise Lines, which operates the American Heritage paddlewheeler on US rivers.[2][4][7]
Is the Mississippi River closed in New Orleans?
Yes. The Coast Guard closed it to all traffic between mile markers 93 and 96 during the response, and no reopening had been announced at the time of this update.[1][5][7]
References
- WDSU, Miracle on the Mississippi: All accounted for after tanker collides with cruise ship, 13 November 2026.
- NBC News, Rescue underway after a tanker collides with a New Orleans riverboat, 13 November 2026.
- ABC News, Tanker collides with riverboat with 129 passengers on board in New Orleans: Officials, 13 November 2026.
- CBS News, River cruise ship, tanker crash in New Orleans on Mississippi River; rescues are underway, 13 November 2026.
- Fox News, Tanker slams into docked New Orleans river cruiser carrying 129 passengers, sparking rescue, 13 November 2026.
- gCaptain, Tanker strikes docked paddlewheeler on Mississippi River, causing it to capsize, 13 November 2026.
- The Guardian, Tanker collides with cruise ship on Mississippi River in New Orleans, 13 November 2026.
- WDSU, Nearly 30 years after Bright Field crash, another collision hits New Orleans riverfront, 13 November 2026.
- New York Post, Tanker hits docked cruise ship with more than 125 passengers; rescues underway, 13 November 2026.
- Wikipedia, The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk (MV Bright Field crash, 1996), accessed 13 November 2026.
- Associated Press via WHEC, Rescues are underway in New Orleans after a tanker hits a river cruise boat on the Mississippi River, 13 November 2026.
- The Independent, New Orleans crash updates: 32 passengers hospitalized after tanker slams into boat, 13 November 2026.
- WDSU, Congressman: FAA ground stop impacting NTSB ability to respond to Mississippi River boat crash, 13 November 2026.
- CNBC, FAA issues nationwide ground stop citing communication issues affecting multiple air traffic control facilities, 13 November 2026.