It's been a few days since the ferry dock collapsed on Sapelo Island in Georgia. The gangway plunged into the water on October 19, killing seven people and injuring many more.
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The event was sudden and inexplicable. Mostly elderly victims were being dragged and washed around by the currant in the freezing cold water. Many describe the event as horrifying, and say that everyone who could help were doing all they could.
According to CBS News, "bystanders rushed to form a human chain for passing survivors to safety." Reginald Hall told the outlet that, "It was chaotic. It was horrible." He recounted that he was handed a child to pass on to a human chain 60 yards to the shore.
The network of witnesses would have caught many other floating and struggling victims. With the chain, I'm sure many more found safety they otherwise wouldn't have.
Sapelo Ferry Dock Collapse Caused A Horrifying Scene
Reginald Hall and the human chain wasn't the only effort to rescue victims of the ferry dock collapse. Many grabbed and dragged survivors out of the water and others performed CPR on the rescued victims.
A survivor, Marsha Armstrong, 60, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about how hard it was to battle with the strong currant of the water. "I sprained every muscle in my body trying to fight that water to stay afloat and God sent an angel," she said.
She also commented on the madness of the event, "It was like we were in a movie." The many bodies lying on the shore was not a pleasant sight, "I never thought this would happen to us."
The cause of the collapse is still unknown. PEOPLE reached out to the Georgia DNR regarding the investigation. They replied, "We will continue to work with local, state, and federal agencies on the response and investigation to determine the cause of the collapse."
The gangway was last inspected in December 2023 by Crescent Equipment Company, according to the outlet.
