Eight people were taken to hospitals, at least six of them with critical injuries, and crews from the US Coast Guard, the McIntosh County Fire Department, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and others were searching the water, according to Natural Resources spokesperson Tyler Jones. The agency operates the dock and ferry boats that transport people between the island and the mainland.
Jones said that a gangway at the dock collapsed, sending people plunging into the water. A team of engineers and construction specialists planned to be on-site early Sunday to begin investigating why the walkway failed, he said.
Helicopters and boats with side-scanning sonar were used in the search, according to a Department of Natural Resources statement.
Sapelo Island is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Savannah, reachable from the mainland by boat.
SD/
Your Comment