SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. — Three people remain in the hospital after a fatal ferry dock collapse in Sapelo Island that killed seven people Saturday afternoon. Four of the victims were from Jacksonville, the McIntosh County Coroner's Office told First Coast News Sunday.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon said at a Sunday press conference the collapse occurred as crowds gathered on the island for a celebration of its Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants. Around 700 people were on the island.
None of the victims were Sapelo Island residents, Rabon said. The following people were confirmed dead:
- Jacqueline Crews Carter, 75, Jacksonville
- Cynthia Gibbs, 74, Jacksonville
- Charles L. Houston, 77, Darien, Georgia
- William Johnson, Jr., 73, Atlanta
- Carlotta McIntosh, 93, Jacksonville
- Isaiah Thomas, 79, Jacksonville
- Queen Welch, 76, Atlanta
Rabon said guests were in the process of loading onto the ferry when the gangway that led from dock to ferry collapsed. There were two scheduled ferry runs after. Rabon said the initial findings of the investigation show a "catastrophic failure" with the gangway, which he later called "structural." He said the gangway was completed in November 2021 and inspections were "routine."
He said the gangway should have handled its listed capacity, which he did not have immediately available. An additional 40 staff were on-site Saturday for the event.
He said the agency's Critical Incident Reconstruction will be working with engineers and the GBI to interview witnesses and collect evidence. He said all of the dead have been accounted for.
"Our hearts are with those that have lost loved ones," Rabon said.
Rabon said he was not aware of any inspections post-Hurricane Helene or past complaints about the infrastructure. He said there is no policy requiring an inspection after a storm.
Georgia Speaker Jon Burns said the state has had to deal with a number of tragedies in the past few weeks.
"This just adds to that. I can assure all Georgians are praying for these families," Burns said.
A man, J.R. Grovner, at the press conference said numerous concerns about the gangway have been "brushed off."
Sapelo Island resident Reginald Hall said from the audience that the families on Sapelo are truly sorry for Saturday's incident.
"We are grieving with those families," Hall said. "We must understand those who passed away were here supporting a cultural event, so our hearts and our souls bleed for them from our community."
Rep. Al Williams commended first responders and witnesses. He also said the cultural fair will occur next year at Sapelo.
"We come thanking those citizens who just jumped right in and saved a lot of people," Williams said. "Unsung heroes."
Mental health support will be available for people living on the island.
Sapelo Island is about 60 miles south of Savannah and 38 miles northeast of Brunswick and is reachable from the mainland by boat.
On Saturday, the 911 call came in at 3:50 p.m. reporting that the gangway at the Marsh Landing Dock on Sapelo Island had collapsed, dropping people into the water. Officials, who did not announce the cause of the collapse Saturday, estimated that 20 people were in the water when the gangway broke.
Seven people died. Of the six people critically injured, two were flown to hospitals for treatment, Capt. Chris Hodge with the Georgia DNR told reporters Saturday night.
Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, the McIntosh County Fire Department, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others assisted in searching the water for any other survivors, Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesman Tyler Jones said Saturday.
