A couple aboard a cruise ship that later overturned in the Mississippi River captured the terrifying approach of a massive tanker before it slammed into the vessel in New Orleans on Friday.
The American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, was moored in New Orleans, Louisiana, when the 520-foot Atlantic Asphalt struck it shortly after noon.
All 180 people aboard were rescued in an extraordinary emergency response described as a “miracle on the Mississippi,” with the US Coast Guard, other first responders and members of the public helping those caught in the disaster.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said at about 4pm local time that 32 cruise passengers had been taken to hospitals. None was suffering from critical injuries.
Two of those receiving medical treatment were New Orleans Harbor Police officers who entered the river to help save passengers, Moreno said.
Dramatic images from the scene showed passengers gripping the ship’s railings as the cruise vessel began to tilt dangerously.
Additional footage has now emerged showing a couple recording the tanker’s approach before realizing that a collision was only moments away.
The social media video appears to have been filmed from a cabin balcony. It shows the green-and-red tanker moving directly toward the docked cruise ship.
A couple aboard the docked cruise ship filmed the terrifying moment a huge tanker appeared to head straight toward them in New Orleans on Friday
The cruise ship later overturned and was left partly submerged; Mayor Helena Moreno said 32 passengers were hospitalized and no one was reported missing
A loud metallic clatter is heard as a chain drops into the water. The noise then stops and the chain pulls tight.
As the couple realizes the tanker is not slowing quickly enough to avoid the ship, the man and woman can be heard shouting, “Oh gosh,” before rushing back inside their cabin.
“Hang on baby, hang on baby, hang on baby, come on,” the woman filming says as they move toward the cabin door.
The recording ends as the couple runs from the area where the collision is about to occur.
President Donald Trump praised the US Coast Guard in a post on Truth Social, thanking it “for doing such an incredible job of rescue, and other work, having to do with the crash.” He added that “incredibly, nobody was killed by this major collision.”
Other footage from the riverbank showed the cruise ship slowly leaning to one side before rolling over and coming to rest partly beneath the water.
The five-story vessel, which can accommodate 150 passengers, appeared to be dragged into the river as the tanker moved past and scraped against it.
Police officers were seen sprinting along the dock while frightened passengers cried out.
The couple rushed toward the cabin exit after realizing the collision could not be avoided, with the video ending moments later
Emergency responders help people out of the river after the collision
Approximately 180 people were aboard the cruise ship, which had been docked for about two hours when the crash occurred
Moreno said the American Heritage began taking on water before it “toppled over and flipped,” sending people into the Mississippi.
Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said around 87 passengers had managed to leave the American Heritage before it overturned.
Moreno credited the rapid response from local, state and federal agencies, along with bystanders aboard nearby vessels, with ensuring that no lives were lost.
She also said the tanker had narrowly avoided hitting a bridge carrying about 160,000 vehicles each day before colliding with the cruise ship.
Devon Flanagan was working near the Port of New Orleans when employees hurried toward the dock. After stepping out of his truck, he saw the cruise ship lying on its side and passengers in the water.
“It was just chaos,” he said. “You had all types of ships, like other barges and other companies down there trying to help out, which also was a little convoluted because you had people still in the water.”
The American Heritage had been completing an eight-day itinerary that visited destinations along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Mississippi.
According to the live shipping service MarineTraffic, the tanker carries major loads of asphalt and bitumen, a semi-solid material commonly used in roadbuilding and roofing.
MarineTraffic listed New Orleans as the tanker’s final destination; the vessel was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands
Rescue crews work on the river as what appear to be belongings from the cruise ship float nearby
Disturbing photographs showed passengers clinging to the ship’s railings after the collision
MarineTraffic listed New Orleans as the tanker’s destination, and records showed it was operating under a Marshall Islands flag.
The US Coast Guard said in an emailed statement that river traffic around the crash site had been halted after the collision.
Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham told the New Orleans Advocate that the tanker may have suffered a steering malfunction, although investigators had not yet determined the cause.
American Cruise Lines said it was working with the Coast Guard and local officials in response to the incident.
“Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved,” the company said.
Officials were continuing efforts to arrange hotel accommodation for those who had been aboard the cruise ship.
Congressman Troy Carter said earlier that a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop had affected National Transportation Safety Board search-and-rescue operations at the crash site.
The FAA imposed a nationwide ground stop on US flights that afternoon, citing “extraordinary circumstances.” The restriction was lifted shortly before 8.30pm.