At least seven people died on Saturday when part of a ferry dock collapsed on Sapelo Island, Georgia, during cultural day celebrations. The event was organised by the island’s Gullah-Geechee community, descendants of Black slaves.
The incident occurred at around 4:30 pm when a boat struck the dock, causing a gangway at the dock to collapse, plunging people into the water during the annual celebrations.
“Several people fell into the water after the collapse,” a McIntosh County commissioner said, as reported by CNN.
Authorities said that several individuals were taken to hospitals following the collapse. The exact number of injured remains unclear, according to the Georgia department of natural resources. The US coast guard, McIntosh County fire department, and Georgia department of natural resources are searching the water for more victims.
“There have been seven confirmed fatalities,” said natural resources department spokesperson Tyler Jones. “Multiple people have been transported to area hospitals, and we are continuing to search the water for individuals.”
According to Jones, there were about 20 people on the dock when it collapsed. Among the fatalities was a chaplain for the state agency, Jones added.
Search efforts involved helicopters and boats equipped with side-scanning sonar.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse.
Georgia governor Brian Kemp expressed his sorrow over the incident, saying, “As state and local first responders continue to work this active scene, we ask that all Georgians join us in praying for those lost, for those still in harm’s way, and for their families.”
Sapelo Island, located about 60 miles south of Savannah, is accessible only by boat. The dock collapse occurred during the island’s cultural day, an annual event celebrating the Gullah-Geechee community, also known as the Hogg Hummock community. This community, consisting of descendants of former slaves from the Thomas Spalding cotton plantation, has a rich history and close-knit bonds. Hogg Hummock was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Roger Lotson, the only Black member of the McIntosh County board of commissioners, stressed the community’s unity in times of tragedy. “Everyone is family, and everyone knows each other,” he said. “In any tragedy, especially like this, they are all one. They’re all united. They all feel the same pain and the same hurt.”
