A tragic incident at Georgia's Sapelo Island dock resulted in the loss of seven lives, transforming a celebration into a mourning occasion. Investigations are currently being conducted.
During a festivity commemorating the modest Gullah-Geechee community of Black slaves' descendants on an island, a gangway suddenly gave way on the guest boat dock around 3:59 PM Saturday, as mentioned by Georgia Department of Natural Resources Captain Chris Hodge during a Saturday night press conference. At least twenty individuals plunged into the water as a result.
The cause of the Marsh Landing Dock's collapse remains undetermined. On Sunday morning, a team of engineers and construction experts will be present at the dock to investigate and ascertain why it crumbled, according to the DNR's spokesperson Tyler Jones, who shared this information with the Associated Press.
"The gangway on Sapelo Island has been secured, and the incident is currently under investigation," the DNR, which oversees the island and operates the ferry service, stated in a Saturday evening press release. Frequently, ferries depart from the Sapelo-side dock three times daily, bound for the mainland dock in Meridian.
A chaplain employed by the DNR was among the deceased, as confirmed by DNR spokesperson Melissa Cummings to CNN. The identities of the other casualties have yet to be made public. Two individuals required transportation by air ambulance to hospitals for treatment, Hodge mentioned.
The state's natural resources department reported that multiple emergency agencies responded to their call for help, deploying vessels with side-scan sonar and helicopters for search and rescue operations. A gathering point was established at a local church for individuals seeking family members, as announced by the McIntosh County Sheriff's Office.
CNN made inquiries to the McIntosh County Sheriff's Office, McIntosh County EMS, and the US Coast Guard for additional information.
The tragedy occurred during Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Awareness Month, celebrated annually in October in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The Sapelo Island Cultural And Revitalization Society, which organizes the island's Cultural Day Festival, extended gratitude to its supporters.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones who have suffered losses and injuries," the nonprofit organization stated on Facebook, dedicated to preserving Gullah-Geechee culture, land, and community on Sapelo Island. "The Sapelo Island community appreciates the outpouring of affection and supports us in our prayers for those affected by this unfortunate incident."
The nearby city of Darien, located in McIntosh County, stated, "A day of celebration has been turned into tragedy following the accident."
President Joe Biden and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed their distress over the accident in separate statements released on Saturday. The accident occurred after the island experienced harm due to Hurricane Helene, including a six-day power outage, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
"Jill and I mourn those who have perished, and we pray for the injured and those still missing. We are also heartened by the efforts of first responders at the scene," Biden said.
He added that the White House was in contact with local and state officials to provide any required aid to the community.
"As local and state first responders continue to work on this active scene, we ask that all Georgians join us in praying for those lost, for those still in danger, and for their families," Kemp said in a post on Sunday.
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock expressed his sadness over the news from Sapelo Island, stating, "It's a tragic end to a joyous celebration."
"Praying for the families of those we have sadly lost and those still missing," he wrote on Sunday night. "The heart of every Georgian is with the Gullah Geechee community and the people of Sapelo Island tonight."
“Everyone is family” in one of Georgia's remaining Gullah-Geechee communities
Hog Hammock, situated on a barrier island off the Georgia coast and accessible only by boat or ferry, houses a handful of full-time residents, predominantly known as Gullah-Geechee people. These individuals are descendants of enslaved Africans who were brought to the island in 1802 and worked on coastal plantations.
Members of the Hog Hammock Gullah-Geechee community are exceptionally close, foster strong familial bonds, and share a common history and struggle, as mentioned by Roger Lotson of the McIntosh County Board of Commissioners to the AP. His district encompasses Sapelo Island.
"Everyone is family, and everyone knows each other," Lotson explained. "In any emergency, especially like this, they are all one. They are all united. They all feel the same pain and the same agony."
Historians believe Hog Hammock, designated as a National Historic Site in 1996, is one of the last surviving Gullah Geechee communities in the Georgia Sea Islands. This tight-knit community maintains numerous West African cultural traditions and languages, passing them from one generation to the next. Prominent among these traditions are the practice of the ancient African art of basketry, preserving the ring shout music folk tradition, earning a living through shrimping and oyster harvesting, and speaking in an English-based creole vernacular called Gullah.
On Saturday, residents of the island and their guests attended the six-hour-long Cultural Day Festival that honored these Gullah-Geechee traditions with African dance performances, local food vendors, and historical tours.
Jerald J. Thomas, a pastor at Elm Grove Church near the site of the collapse, told CNN affiliate WTOC that the community came together to provide assistance following the tragedy.
"They got straight to it, supplying the essentials to make life more tolerable during this difficult period for the islanders, as per Thomas's words," stated.
The residents on this island predominantly consist of seniors with fixed income, clarified Jazz Watts, a descendant of Sapelo Island, to CNN previously. The proposition of a zoning adjustment increasing the allowable constructed area for temperature-controlled residences had sparked apprehension among locals, who feared it would enable the wealthy to purchase properties and hike the property taxes.
The community's numbers have dwindled significantly, with only 29 original descendants remaining, mentioned Bailey, a local historian and resident of Hogg Hammock's ninth generation, during his talk with CNN last year. Descendants account for 63% of the property ownership and occupy 75% of the island's acreage on Sapelo, according to his estimate.
This piece was put together with contributions from Sottile, Wang, Bailey, Chen, and Kermeliotis of CNN.
The DNR, along with the affected community, is working together to investigate the cause of the Marsh Landing Dock's collapse. The Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo Island, where the incident occurred, is known for its close-knit ties and shared history, as expressed by Roger Lotson of the McIntosh County Board of Commissioners.
