SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. — At least seven people were killed and six people were critically injured Saturday after part of a ferry dock collapsed on Sapelo Island in Georgia.
Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, the McIntosh County Fire Department, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Georgia DNR) and others were searching the water for any other survivors, said Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Responding agencies used boats equipped with side-scan sonar and helicopters for search and rescue efforts.
The 911 call came in at 3:50 p.m. reporting that the gangway at the Marsh Landing Dock on Sapelo Island had collapsed, plunging people into the water below. Officials estimate 20 people went into the water when the gangway collapsed.
Out of the six people critically injured, two were flown out to hospitals for treatment, Captain Christ Hodge with the Georgia DNR told reporters during a news briefing Saturday night.
The collapse happened as crowds gathered on the island for a celebration of its tiny Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants.
“There have been seven fatalities confirmed,” Jones said. “There have been multiple people transported to area hospitals, and we are continuing to search the water for individuals.”
Jones said he did not know what caused the gangway to collapse. The gangway connected an outer dock where people board the ferry to another dock onshore. Officials said the gangway has been secured and the incident is currently under investigation.
Among the dead was a chaplain for the Georgia DNR, Jones said.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved, including the entire Sapelo Island Community," the Georgia DNR said in a statement obtained by First Coast News.
Officials set up a family reunification point at the Elm Grove Baptist Church and the pastor told First Coast News that 400 people were shuttled there.
Sapleo Island is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Savannah and is reachable from the mainland by boat.
Cultural Day is an annual fall event spotlighting the island’s tiny community of Hogg Hummock, which is home to a few dozen Black residents. The community of dirt roads and modest homes was founded by former slaves from the cotton plantation of Thomas Spalding.
President Joe Biden shared the following statement on the collapse:
"We are heartbroken to learn about the ferry dock walkway collapse on Georgia’s Sapelo Island. What should have been a joyous celebration of Gullah-Geechee culture and history instead turned into tragedy and devastation. Jill and I mourn those who lost their lives, and we pray for the injured and anyone still missing. We are also grateful to the first responders at the scene. My team is in touch with state and local officials, and we stand ready to provide any and all assistance that would be helpful to the community."
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp released a statement on X regarding the collapse: