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A tragic incident occurred on Saturday (October 19) when a ferry dock collapsed on Georgia's Sapelo Island, resulting in at least seven fatalities. The collapse occurred around 4:30 p.m. during a celebration of the island's Gullah-Geechee community, a small community of Black descendants of slaves. The gangway, which connected an outer dock where people board the ferry to another dock onshore, collapsed and sent people plunging into the water. It is believed that at least 20 people were on the gangway at the time of the incident.
Multiple people were taken to hospitals, and search and rescue missions were conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard, the McIntosh County Fire Department, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Among the deceased was a chaplain for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, according to spokesperson Tyler Jones of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which operates the dock. The cause of the gangway collapse is still unknown and under investigation.
Sapelo Island, located about 60 miles south of Savannah, is only accessible by boat. The island was hosting its annual Cultural Day, an event that highlights the island's tiny community of Hogg Hummock, home to a few dozen Black residents. The community, founded by former slaves from the cotton plantation of Thomas Spalding, is known for its unique dialect and traditional skills and crafts, such as cast-net fishing and weaving baskets.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp released a statement expressing his heartbreak over the tragedy and asked all Georgians to pray for those who lost their lives in the collapse. "Marty, the girls, and I are heartbroken by today’s tragedy on Sapelo Island," Kemp said. "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."