7 Killed, 6 Critically Injured in Georgia’s Sapelo Island Dock Collapse

Tons of of individuals have been gathered to have a good time the Gullah-Geechee group on Georgia’s Sapelo Island on Saturday, Oct. 19, when a ferry dock gangway collapsed, killing not less than seven folks and injuring a number of extra.

Captain Chris Hodge with the Georgia Division of Pure Sources confirmed the loss of life toll of the autumn competition turned tragedy in a press convention, revealing {that a} complete of 20 folks went into the water after the gangway collapsed.

Eight people have been hospitalized after the incident, not less than six of whom are critically injured, Hodge stated. As of Saturday night, search and rescue efforts have been nonetheless underway by means of the mixed effort of a number of emergency businesses.

A spokesperson for the Georgia DNR instructed the Related Press that he didn’t know what prompted the gangway — which related the outer dock to a different onshore — to break down in the course of the annual celebration.

“There was no collision” with something, he instructed the outlet. “The factor simply collapsed. We do not know why.”

The spokesperson additionally famous that the gangway has since been secured, and stated a workforce of specialists would start investigating on Sunday morning.

He additionally shared {that a} chaplain for the Georgia DNR was among the many seven killed within the collapse.

A spokesperson for the Georgia Division of Pure Sources didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s request for remark.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp reacted to the information on X (previously often called Twitter) on Saturday, stating that he and his household “are heartbroken by right this moment’s tragedy on Sapelo Island.”

President Joe Biden additionally shared a assertion concerning the tragedy, writing that he and First Girl Jill Biden are “heartbroken to study” of the collapse and able to present assist.

“What ought to have been a joyous celebration of Gullah-Geechee tradition and historical past as a substitute was tragedy and devastation,” the assertion learn. “Jill and I mourn those that misplaced their lives, and we pray for the injured and anybody nonetheless lacking. We’re additionally grateful to the primary responders on the scene. My workforce is in contact with state and native officers, and we stand prepared to offer any and all help that may be useful to the group.”

In a assertion of her personal, Vice President Kamala Harris stated she is “praying” for these killed and injured within the collapse, and their family members. “Even within the face of this heartbreak, we are going to proceed to have a good time and honor the historical past, tradition, and resilience of the Gullah-Geechee group,” she stated.

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Sapelo Island attracts lots of of tourists every fall for the annual competition celebrating the heritage of the Gullah-Geechee folks, who’re descendants of enslaved West African folks, based on The New York Instances. The Gullah-Geechee who reside on the island — which solely has a couple of dozen residents — are all descendants of slaves who have been introduced there within the early 1800s.

Griffin Lotson, mayor of close by metropolis Darien and a seventh-generation Gullah-Geechee, instructed the NYT that the day is “about the entire tradition … from Africa, to the best way that it was on the plantation, to the twenty first century with the younger people and what they do.”

And, giving extra perception into the small group of Gullah-Geechee on the island, he instructed CBS Information, “Everyone seems to be household, and everybody is aware of one another.”

“In any tragedy, particularly like this, they’re all one,” he stated. “They’re all united. All of them really feel the identical ache and the identical damage.”