A ferry dock in Sapelo Island, Georgia, collapsed on Saturday. Seven were killed in the collapse and others were injured in the horrific incident.
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The ferry dock collapsed at around 4:30 pm.
People were gathered at the dock in an event honoring Black slave descendants. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, among the dead was the chaplain of the state agency which operates the dock.
Tyler Jones, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, reported that there were at least 20 people standing on the dock when the gangway collapsed. Eight were hospitalized with six suffering critical injuries.
It is unclear why the dock collapsed.
Ferry Dock Collapses Without Warning
Sapelo Island is home to the Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants. Everyone trying to board the ferry was attempting to attend the Cultural Heritage Day to honor the history of the community.
The unexpected collapse created a horrifying scene. Bodies plunged into the water and were swept away by the current. Those already on the ferry heard the gangway collapse and turned around to see everyone fall.
Everyone scrambled to help the injured and rescue anyone they could. "There wasn't a soul who wasn't trying to help somebody," said one witness.
According to the New York Post, a witness said, "It was a slow-motion kind of thing. It was just going down. They were all going down in the water. It was the worst thing."
Jones reported that there was no collision that could have caused the dock to collapse, "the thing just collapsed. We don't know why." A team of engineers and construction specialists are to investigate why the walkway failed early Sunday morning.
There have been no updates since the collapse. The current state of the injured are also unknown.
Joe Biden commented on the tragedy, "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."
