At Least 7 Dead After Boat Dock Collapse in Georgia

At least seven people have died following the collapse of a boat dock in Georgia, which sent over 20 people into the Atlantic Ocean near the state’s coast.

The US Coast Guard is searching for the missing, while authorities confirm that multiple people were also injured in the incident.

The collapse occurred during a cultural celebration on Sapelo Island, organized by the Gullah-Geechee community, which has African roots.

Tyler Jones, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesperson,   reported that the dock was crowded with people waiting for a ferry when the collapse happened, about 97 kilometers south of Savannah.

The ferry, managed by the state’s Department of Natural Resources, is the only regular transport to the island.

Rescue efforts were launched immediately, with Coast Guard helicopters and boats equipped with sonar scouring the waters for survivors. The cause of the collapse is still unknown.

Sapelo Island is accessible only by boat, and the ferry ride takes about 20 minutes. The incident occurred during the island’s annual Cultural Day, a festival celebrating the Gullah-Geechee people, descendants of enslaved Africans.