Sapelo Island, GA – A devastating incident occurred on Saturday at a ferry dock on Georgia’s Sapelo Island, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least seven people.

The collapse of a gangway at the dock sent people plunging into the water, prompting a massive search and rescue operation involving the U.S. Coast Guard, the McIntosh County Fire Department, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and other agencies.

Multiple people were transported to area hospitals, and rescue crews continued to search the water for survivors.

Tyler Jones, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, confirmed seven fatalities and stated that the search for additional victims was ongoing.

The cause of the gangway collapse remains under investigation, but officials believe at least 20 people were on the dock at the time of the incident.

The gangway connected an outer dock to the onshore dock, facilitating access to the ferry.

Among the victims of the tragedy was a chaplain for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Sapelo Island, located approximately 60 miles south of Savannah, is a small island community accessible only by boat.

The island’s annual Cultural Day celebration highlights the Gullah-Geechee community of Hogg Hummock, a settlement founded by former slaves from the cotton plantation of Thomas Spalding.

Gullah-Geechee communities, descended from enslaved island populations, are scattered along the coast from North Carolina to Florida. These communities have preserved much of their African heritage, including their unique dialect, fishing skills, and basket weaving traditions.