The paddlewheel cruise ship American Heritage lay on its side and partially submerged on Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, 2026, after a collision on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
The 525-foot cargo vessel Atlantic Asphalt appeared to lose control as it passed beneath the Crescent City Connection bridge. The tanker veered to the right and struck the docked river cruise ship, causing it to capsize and partially sink alongside a dock on the Mississippi River.
The American Heritage had 192 passengers aboard at the time of the incident, with 32 requiring hospital treatment. Tugboat operators, police, and other rescuers rushed to help while officials shut down traffic in the river during the rescue effort. The riverboat had been finishing an eight-day cruise calling at destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi along the waterway.
The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans filed a $1 million federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana on Friday evening, naming the Atlantic Asphalt MV, Nave Shipping SA, and Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd as defendants. An arrest warrant was also issued, directing federal marshals to seize and hold the marine vessel.
The lawsuit identifies Nave Shipping SA as a corporation registered in Liberia and describes the firm as the registered owner, ship manager, and commercial manager of the Atlantic Asphalt.
Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd is identified as a private limited company based in Singapore serving as the tanker’s ISM manager, responsible for the effective implementation of the International Safety Management code aboard the vessel. Nave Shipping is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are represented by attorneys Christopher Hannan, Sara Kuebel, and Abigail Weiland of the law firm Jones Walker. Court records show the case was assigned to federal magistrate Karen Wells Roby and U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter, chief judge at the federal courthouse in New Orleans.
According to the legal complaint, the waterborne accident inflicted a minimum of $1 million in harm upon the Thalia Street Terminal beside which the paddlewheel vessel was moored. Court documents state that the port terminal “was significantly damaged” in the collision.
The legal filing argues that the incident “occurred as a result of the negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness” of the ship and operating companies, and asserts that the defendants failed “to use all available means to avoid the risk” of colliding with the riverboat.
Authorities continue to look into both the underlying reason for the crash and the complete scope of the destruction it generated. Representatives from the China State Shipbuilding Corporation were contacted for comment, while Thome Ship Management issued a statement on Saturday noting that the crew of the Atlantic Asphalt were safe and accounted for.
Earlier coverage: Port of New Orleans Seeks Over $1M After Tanker Hits Passenger Ship
