Georgia: Authorities investigate tragic collapse of dock gangway that resulted in seven deaths | US News
Investigators are looking into the “catastrophic failure” of a dock gangway that collapsed and resulted in the death of seven individuals in Sapelo Island, Georgia.
A crowd had gathered for an autumn celebration hosted by the island’s small Gullah-Geechee community, descended from Black slaves.
The gangway, which was installed in 2021, was filled with people waiting for a ferry boat when it gave way, causing at least 20 individuals to fall into the Atlantic waters off the state’s coast.
Eight people were hospitalized, with three currently in critical condition.
Commissioner Walter Rabon from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources stated, “It is a structural failure. There should be very little maintenance required for an aluminum gangway like that, but we will wait to see what the investigation reveals.”
Georgia Department of Natural Resources commissioner Walter Rabon addresses the media. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Rabon mentioned that “upwards of 40 people” were on the gangway when it collapsed.
Following the incident, US Coast Guard crews and others searched the water, and on Sunday, an investigative team arrived on the scene to begin examining the failed walkway.
Natural Resources spokesperson Tyler Jones confirmed there was “no collision” with a boat or any other object, stating: “The structure just collapsed. The reason is still unknown.”
After a lawsuit filed by residents, the ferry docks were reconstructed in October 2020 due to non-compliance with federal accessibility standards for individuals with disabilities.
The state reconstructed and upgraded the docks and ferry boats to cater to individuals in wheelchairs and with hearing impairments.
The tragic collapse occurred during Cultural Day, where locals, family members, and tourists gathered to celebrate Hogg Hummock, home to a few dozen Black residents.
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The sun rises over Sapelo Island.
File pic: AP
The community, consisting of dirt roads and modest homes, was established after the Civil War by former slaves from the cotton plantation owned by US politician Thomas Spalding in the late 18th century.
Roger Lotson, the sole African-American member of the McIntosh County Board of Commissioners representing Sapelo Island, mentioned that the slave descendants of Hogg Hummock are considered “one family” where everyone knows each other.
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Lotson added: “In any tragedy, especially like this, they are all one.
“They’re all united. They all feel the same pain and the same hurt.”
