SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources put up new safety signs in wake of the Sapelo Island dock gangway collapse.
The tragedy happened on Saturday after a day of celebration at the island’s Cultural Festival. Seven people died and several others were hospitalized after the collapse.
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The Georgia DNR operates the dock and is in charge of the state investigation. They have now put up signs at the entrance of the gangway to limit the amount of people who can be on it.
The new rules state that only eight people can be on the dock at a time. The number goes down to four people if they have dock carts or equipment.
At the time of the collapse, there were upwards of 40 people on the gangway.
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.
What caused the “catastrophic failure” remains under investigation.
For questions about the incident at Sapelo Island, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has set up a “Frequently Asked Questions” page online.
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