SAVANNAH, Ga. – A maritime expert is asking questions about what happened at Sapelo Island when seven people were killed after a gangway dock collapsed.
MORE |4 of 7 killed in Georgia dock gangway collapse were from Jacksonville, coroner confirms
According to the McIntosh County coroner, four of the seven people killed in the collapse were from Jacksonville. Among the other three victims, one was from Atlanta, another from “the Atlanta area” and another from Darien, Georgia.
The victims were identified as:
- Isaiah Thomas, 79, from Jacksonville
- Carlotta Mcintosh, 93, from Jacksonville
- Jacqueline Crews Carter, 75, from Jacksonville
- Cynthia Alynn Gibbs, 74, from Jacksonville
- Charles League Houston, 77, from Darien, Ga.
- Queen Welch, 76, Atlanta
- William Lee Johnson Jr., 73, from the Atlanta area
“There’s investigators that are out there collecting information,” said Kurt Hallier.
Hallier is an expert in the maritime industry. His experience spans 40 years.
“What was the design and construction of this gangway, and how was it installed? Then what type of inspections are done on the gangway on a regular basis to ensure that it’s safe to utilize?” he said.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the gangway collapsed at the Marsh Landing Dock, sending 20 people into the water. At least 40 people were on the aluminum dock gangway when it malfunctioned.
“It is my understanding that the structure collapsed in the middle, one of the ends is in the water one end of the gangway on the landward side is still attached. I can’t tell you exactly at this point what happened,” Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Walter Rabon, said.
Now a full-scale investigation is ongoing including local, federal and state agencies, looking into what the Georgia Department of Natural Resources is calling a failure of a gangway that officials say should have needed very little maintenance but was inspected daily.
“I think that’s another aspect they’re going to be looking at now is, you know, how was it constructed? Is it constructed to meet the standards that have been set?” he asked.
Georgia DNR said the gangway was inspected less than a year ago, in December 2023, by Crescent Equipment Company.
News4JAX requested those records as well as the number of people allowed on the gangway, from the DNR and are waiting to hear back.
“Is there somebody on the dock from the state making sure that not too many people are walking across the gangway, or at any one time, is there somebody on board the ferry that gets off and stops people from coming down and having too many people?” Hallier asked.
Cell phone video revealed the panic and chaos that ensued as elderly victims were pulled from the Atlantic waters of the Georgia barrier island.
Bystanders jumped in and pulled some people to shore, witnesses even formed a human chain to pull victims to safety, but they were unable to save everyone.