A woman on the cruise ship struck by a tanker said the riverboat started filling with water like the 'Titanic'
A passenger on the cruise ship that was hit by a tanker in New Orleans said the crash knocked her to the ground and she thought she was going to die.
Tamara Carrasco, a retired elementary school teacher from Atlanta, recounted her harrowing experience aboard the American Heritage cruise ship when it was struck by a tanker in New Orleans. Carrasco was seated in the dining room, enjoying patriotic-themed decor and a red, white, and navy blue Ralph Lauren shirt, when the tanker collided with the ship. She described the impact as if it were the sinking of the Titanic, her mind reeling with thoughts of impending doom.
"The tanker, Atlantic Asphalt, crashed directly into the American Cruise Lines riverboat, causing the ship to tip over and sink," Carrasco explained. "I ran to the opposite end of the ship to get as far away from the glass windows as possible, bracing myself in a nook." As the tanker broke through the windows, water poured into the ship, engulfing passengers and crew.
Carrasco and her friend rushed to higher floors, eventually exiting the cruise ship via a gangplank. Of the nearly 200 people on board, 32 were taken to hospitals, with none reported as critically injured. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno expressed relief at the absence of unaccounted-for individuals, calling it a miracle on the Mississippi.
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