Destrehan in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
George Prince Ferry Memorial
October 20, 1976
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, October 28, 2017
1. George Prince Ferry Memorial Marker
Inscription.
George Prince Ferry Memorial. October 20, 1976. , Marker 1 , On October 20, 1976, the worst ferry disaster in the history of the United States occurred on the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish. Seventy-seven lives were lost. The people of Louisiana will never forget you. , Marker 2 , "When you pass through the water I will be with you; In the rivers you shall not drown, for I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." , Isaiah 43:2-3 , Marker 3 , It was 40 degrees fahrenheit and dark at dawn, without fog, as the fifty year old George Prince Ferry was making its passage way across the Mississippi River from Destrehan to Luling. The skipper was Captain Gene Auletta. Ninety-five people were aboard that morning, most of them young men who worked at the plants on the Riverbank. , Marker 4 , As the George Prince traveled close to a mile from the east bank to the west bank, a 22,000 ton Norwegian tanker, the Frosta, sighted the ferry dangerously close to the front of the ship's bow. Pilot Nicholas Colombo signaled the George Prince several times, but it was too late. A massive collision ensued. , Marker 5 , Relatives and friends of those aboard the George Prince anxiously stood vigil on the Mississippi River levee for days, watching the rescue efforts and waiting for news of their loved ones. Hard hats and lunch pails washed ashore on the riverbank. Governor Edwin Edwards walked through those assembled there, attempting to console the families. President Gerald Ford's personal emissary, Ed Foreman, was also at the disaster site. , Marker 6 , The tragedy spurred changes in Maritime Law. Ships in the river now legally have the right of way over smaller vessels. The Coast Guard now subjects pilots and all other employees on vessels to random drug and alcohol testing.
The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge was under construction at the time of the accident. It was opened in 1983, thus ending the Destrehan-Luling ferry run.
Marker 1 On October 20, 1976, the worst ferry disaster in the history of the United States occurred on the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish. Seventy-seven lives were lost. The people of Louisiana will never forget you. Marker 2 "When you pass through the water I will be with you; In the rivers you shall not drown, for I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:2-3 Marker 3 It was 40 degrees fahrenheit and dark at dawn, without fog, as the fifty year old George Prince Ferry was making its passage way across the Mississippi River from Destrehan to Luling. The skipper was Captain Gene Auletta. Ninety-five people were aboard that morning, most of them young men who worked at the plants on the Riverbank. Marker 4 As the George Prince traveled close to a mile from the east bank to the west bank, a 22,000 ton Norwegian tanker, the Frosta, sighted the ferry dangerously close to the front of the ship's bow. Pilot Nicholas Colombo signaled the George Prince several times, but it was too late. A massive collision ensued. Marker 5 Relatives and friends of those aboard the George Prince anxiously stood vigil on the Mississippi River levee for days, watching the rescue efforts
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and waiting for news of their loved ones. Hard hats and lunch pails washed ashore on the riverbank. Governor Edwin Edwards walked through those assembled there, attempting to console the families. President Gerald Ford's personal emissary, Ed Foreman, was also at the disaster site. Marker 6 The tragedy spurred changes in Maritime Law. Ships in the river now legally have the right of way over smaller vessels. The Coast Guard now subjects pilots and all other employees on vessels to random drug and alcohol testing.
The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge was under construction at the time of the accident. It was opened in 1983, thus ending the Destrehan-Luling ferry run.
Location. 29° 56.856′ N, 90° 22.232′ W. Marker is in Destrehan, Louisiana, in St. Charles Parish. It can be reached from River Road (State Highway 48) north of West Campus Drive, on the right when traveling north. Located in the Eastbank Bridge Park, directly under the bridge. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13244 River Road, Destrehan LA 70047, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker and memorial is in the River Parishes and in Greater New Orleans. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, on the Gulf Coast, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2017, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 1,194 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 4, 2017, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on November 4, 2017. 11, 12. submitted on June 20, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.
