At least 7 dead in a ferry deck gangway collapse on Sapelo Island in Georgia

By: CNN

Posted: Oct 19, 2024 8:22 PM CDT

CNN

By Michelle Watson and Zoe Sottile

(CNN) — At least seven people were killed Saturday after part of a ferry dock collapsed on Georgia’s Sapelo Island, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Several others were taken to hospitals, the Associated Press said, citing Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia DNR.

It happened as crowds gathered on the island for a celebration of its tiny Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants.

The deck collapsed at around 4:30 p.m. after a boat hit the dock, a McIntosh County commissioner told CNN affiliate WTOC. Several people fell into the water after the collapse.

Jones said he did not know what caused the gangway to collapse but officials believe there were at least 20 people on it at the time, according to CNN affiliate WSB.

Among the dead was a chaplain for the DNR, Jones told the AP.

It’s not yet clear how many people are injured, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in a news release.

The McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office said earlier Saturday in a Facebook post it was “working an active situation on Sapelo Island,” with multiple agencies.

“We have set up a family re-unification point at the Elm Grove Baptist Church,” the post said. “We ask that anyone searching for family members, please check there first.”

CNN has reached out to the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, McIntosh County EMS, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Coast Guard for more information.

“The gangway has been secured on Sapelo Island and the incident is currently under investigation,” the Georgia DNR said in the release.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said he was “heartbroken,” by the news.

“Marty, the girls, and I are heartbroken by today’s tragedy on Sapelo Island,” Kemp said in a post on X. “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 is a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, accessible only by boat. The island is home to around 70 full-time residents, according to Explore Georgia. Most of them are descended from slaves who worked on plantations.

Ferries typically depart from the Sapelo-side dock three times a day, taking visitors to the mainland dock in Meridian. The island suffered serious damage during Hurricane Helene, including a six-day power outage, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

This is a developing story and will be updated.