SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. — In the wake of the gangway collapse in Sapelo Island that killed seven people, including four from Jacksonville, officials are updating safety signage around the area, hosting community support sessions as investigations are underway.
Jacksonville residents Jacqueline Carter, Cynthia Gibbs, Carlotta McIntosh and Isaiah Thomas, and Georgia residents Queen Welch, William Johnson Jr. and Charles Houston were killed Saturday when the gangway collapsed. It also sent at least 20 people into the water, Georgia officials said.
Attorneys for the family of three Jacksonville victims said they are exploring the possibility of filing a lawsuit related to this collapse.
Georgia's Office of the Attorney General has retained Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates to conduct an independent investigation into the cause of the collapse at the Marsh Landing Dock. GBI and local officials are also investigating.
The firm specializes in the investigation, testing, and design of repairs for buildings, bridges, and other structures, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and “… have participated in the engineering or architectural investigation of many of the United States’ most significant major failures and natural disasters and has assisted in many investigations globally.”
The gangway was installed to withstand an evenly distributed load of 64,000 pounds. With an estimated weight of 200 lb per person, the capacity of the gangway could handle approximately 320 people, the DNR said.
The Georgia DNR placed new signs at the entrance of the gangway at the mainland Sapelo Island ferry dock in Meridian on Wednesday. The signage limits the number of people on the gangway to eight adults, or four individuals if dock carts or other equipment are being transported on the gangway.
In Jacksonville, a prayer vigil was held Thursday night at a St. Paul A.M.E. Church, where the pastor said two of the four victims from Jacksonville attended. Families of the victims now known as the "Sapelo 7" were supported with prayer, song and condolences.
Mental health resources will be available Saturday to those impacted by the collapse.
- Sapelo Island: 9 a.m.-noon. UGA Marine Institute.
- Darien: 2-5 p.m. Oaks on the River Hotel.
