Sapelo Island dock collapse: Engineers say gangway should have supported weight of 320 people

ATLANTA — As state officials investigate what caused the Sapelo Island dock collapse, there are questions surrounding the gangway’s construction and how many people it should have supported.

Seven people died on Saturday after a ferry gangway suddenly collapsed and sent 20 people plunging into the water. Eyewitness video showed the chaotic moments as people rushed to pull people out of the water.

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Before the gangway collapsed, officials said there were upwards of 40 people standing on it. But the Georgia Department of Natural Resources told Channel 2 Action News that its engineering firm calculated that it should have been able to support the weight of 320 people.

Here is how the engineers reached the calculation.

“Paragraph 2.2, Design Criteria in Specification Section 053300 – Aluminum Marine Structures calls for the 80-foot gangways to be designed for a 100 pound per square foot live load. The total square footage of the 80-foot gangway is 640 square feet. Therefore, the gangway was specified to be designed, constructed, and installed to withstand an evenly distributed loading of 64,000 pounds. With these numbers and conditions as a prerequisite, assuming an average weight of individuals at 200 pounds, and an even distribution of mass, this would equate to 320 persons.”

The Georgia DNR operates the dock and is in charge of the state investigation.

National civil rights attorney Ben Crump, whose firm is representing three families, is demanding a federal investigation.

“We want a federal investigation. Had these been seven white people who died in that gateway you’d have federal investigations, you would have resources being offered to the community, you would not let this be swept under the rug,” Crump said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.