Passengers say riverboat restaurant flooded within seconds of tanker collision

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Fox 8 spoke with two people who were on the American Heritage river cruise when it collided with the Atlantic Asphalt tanker said the restaurant on the riverboat was in knee-deep water within seconds of the impact.

RELATED STORY: LIVE: ‘Miracle on the Mississippi’ | No fatalities after tanker crashes into river cruiser carrying nearly 150 people near Port of New Orleans

The two people said they got out and swam to the riverbank. They said first responders then dropped ladders and ropes, and they climbed out.

The two people said the first sign of trouble was the tanker dropping its anchor and sounding its horn. They said the horn was so loud it shook the riverboat.

The passengers said the impact was at the restaurant on the American Cruise Lines boat. They said lunch service had just started.

According to the two people, they did not see any children, young kids or families on board. They said there were a lot of elderly people on board.

They said it was a terrifying situation, and they were covered in mud, and their pants were wet. They also said they hope everyone got out OK.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.