Atlantic Asphalt Tanker Hits New Orleans Riverboat Causing It to Sink

“What was going through my mind was: We’re going to die,” Tamara Carrasco said, recounting the terrifying moment she realized a massive vessel was bearing down on her riverboat.

Carrasco was seated in the dining room of the American Heritage cruise ship on Friday, when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker crashed directly into the docked riverboat in the Port of New Orleans, Business Insider reported. The collision caused the ship to topple over and sink as passengers rushed to evacuate.

The impact sent several people into the Mississippi River, requiring rescues by first responders. Out of the nearly 200 individuals on board, 32 people were transported to hospitals. None were critically injured, officials said.

New Orleans boat crash: Atlantic Asphalt tanker, American Heritage riverboat aftermath footage — USA TODAY

“We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi,” New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said at a press conference.

Carrasco, a 65-year-old retired elementary school teacher from Atlanta, had been sitting by the dining room windows watching the river traffic when she first spotted the tanker crossing under a nearby bridge. She noticed the vessel lowering its anchor and initially wondered why it was anchoring in that specific spot.

Asphalt tanker hits, capsizes cruise ship along Mississippi river — WHAS11

“It’s not stopping. It’s going to hit us,” her friend warned her.

Skeptical at first, Carrasco changed her mind instantly when she saw the crew scrambling across the tanker’s deck “like ants.” She sprinted to the opposite end of the riverboat to distance herself from the glass windows, finding a nook where she could brace for impact.

Tanker Hits Cruise Ship in New Orleans, Prompting Rescue — Bloomberg News

“It hit so hard I flew to the ground,” she said.

After the initial crash, she ran toward the stairwell in the middle of the boat and looked back into the dining room. The tanker had broken through the glass windows, and water was pouring in.

Nearly 200 passengers rescued after tanker hits cruise ship in New Orleans — WWLTV

“Seen the movie ‘Titanic’? There was a big gash and water is flying in, and I said, ‘Oh, this is going down,'” Carrasco said.

She climbed to the next floor and escaped the cruise ship via a gangplank, emerging onto dry land where a shocked crowd had already gathered. Comparing the experience to the aftermath of 9/11, she said that the survivors were wandering in a daze.

Both Carrasco and her friend sought medical evaluation at the University Medical Center in New Orleans, hoping to check existing back and neck issues respectively. Wrapped in a blanket in the emergency room while fielding calls from concerned family members, she reflected on the timing of the incident.

“This is the most memorable Friday the 13th I’ve ever had,” she told her older sister over the phone.