'Miracle on the Mississippi' as all 180 onboard New Orleans cruise ship that capsized after being struck by tanker are rescued

Detailed summary

The American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, was docked on the river in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday when it was struck by the 520-foot long Atlantic Asphalt.

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER

Published: 20:33 GMT, 13 November 2026 | Updated: 03:28 GMT, 14 November 2026

The 180 people on board a huge paddle wheel pleasure boat that capsized into the Mississippi River after being struck by a tanker were all rescued with authorities touting a 'miracle' after the crash.

The American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, was docked on the river in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday when it was hit by the 520-foot long Atlantic Asphalt shortly after midday.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said Friday around 4pm local time that 32 passengers from the cruise ship were in local hospitals. None had critical injuries.

Moreno added that zero people were unaccounted for, which she said was 'truly a miracle on the Mississippi.'

President Donald Trump thanked the US Coast Guard on Truth Social for 'for doing such an incredible job of rescue, and other work, having to do with the crash,' adding that 'incredibly, nobody was killed by this major collision.'

Disturbing images emerged showing passengers aboard the cruise line holding on to railings for their lives as the ship started to capsize in the Mississippi River.

In another horrific video, the cruise ship, which is five stories tall and can hold 150 passengers, was seen being pulled into the water as the tanker scraped past it.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Mail. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.