‘Catastrophic failure:’ 7 dead, 3 in critical condition after dock gangway collapses on GA’s coast

SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. — An investigation is underway after a ferry dock gangway collapsed, killing at least seven people, Saturday night.

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Hundreds of visitors traveled to Sapelo Island in celebration of the Cultural Day to celebrate and honor the Gullah Geechee heritage.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon said during a news conference, that it’s an annual event hosted by the Cultural Revitalization Committee.

Rabon said the gangway at the dock collapsed and sent people plunging into the water. Officials said 20 people fell into the water.

“Guests were in the process of loading the ferry and Ameri, which was tied up to the dock,” Rabon explained.

This resulted in seven deaths, with three people remaining in the hospital in critical condition.

Initial findings from the investigation revealed it was a ‘‘catastrophic failure’ of the gangway causing it to collapse. The gangway was installed in 2021, according to officials.

“It is a structural failure. There should be very, very little maintenance to an aluminum gangway like that, but we’ll see what the investigation unfolds,” Rabon said. “I can assure you the DNR Critical Incident Reconstruction Team will be working tirelessly in conjunction with engineers and the GBI to gather and preserve evidence and interview witnesses.”

Rabon said “upwards of 40 people” were on the gangway when the “catastrophic failure” occurred, and at least 20 people fell into the water. The gangway connected an outer dock where people board the ferry to another dock onshore. None of the seven people killed were residents of the island, Rabon said. Eight people were taken to hospitals, at least six of them were initially reported Saturday to have critical injuries.

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The ferry dock was rebuilt after Georgia officials in October 2020 settled a federal lawsuit by residents of the tiny community of Hogg Hummock, who complained the state-operated ferry boats and docks they rely upon to travel between Sapelo Island and the mainland failed to meet federal accessibility standards for people with disabilities.

The state agreed to demolish and replace outdated docks while upgrading ferry boats to accommodate people in wheelchairs and those with impaired hearing. The state also paid a cash settlement of $750,000.

Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, the McIntosh County Fire Department, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others searched the water, according to Natural Resources spokesperson Tyler Jones. The agency operates the dock and ferry boats that transport people between the island and the mainland.

A team of engineers and construction specialists were on site early Sunday to begin investigating why the walkway failed, Jones said.

“There was no collision” with a boat or anything else, Jones said. “The thing just collapsed. We don’t know why.”

Helicopters and boats with side-scanning sonar were used in the search, according to a Department of Natural Resources statement.

Among the dead was a chaplain for the state agency, Jones said.

President Joe Biden said federal officials were ready to provide any assistance needed. Sapelo Island is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Savannah, reachable from the mainland by boat.

The deadly collapse happened as island residents, family members and tourists gathered for Cultural Day, an annual fall event spotlighting Hogg Hummock, home to a few dozen Black residents. The community of dirt roads and modest homes was founded after the Civil War by former slaves from the cotton plantation of Thomas Spalding.

Hogg Hummock’s slave descendants are extremely close, having been “bonded by family, bonded by history and bonded by struggle,” said Roger Lotson, the only Black member of the McIntosh County Board of Commissioners. His district includes Sapelo Island.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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