Gangway collapse leaves 7 dead on historic Georgia island

Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Officials were on location in Georgia Sunday investigating the collapse of a ferry dock gangway that left seven people dead and six others critically injured Saturday.

Three remained in critical condition Sunday morning.

People had gathered on Sapelo Island, about 70 miles south of Savannah, to mark the annual celebration of a community of slave descendants when the gangway collapsed.

The island is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and operates the ferry service. It said in a social media post that 20 people went into the water when the gangway collapsed, all of whom have been accounted for.

About 40 people were reportedly on the gangway when the failure occurred just before 4 p.m. Saturday.

"It is a structural failure," Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon said. "There should be very, very little maintenance to an aluminum gangway like that, but we'll see what the investigation unfolds."

Rabon said it appeared that the gangway collapsed in the middle while people were boarding the ferry.

The people who died ranged in age from 78 to 93. Four were women and four were men, McIntosh County coroner Melvin Amerson said.

Sapelo is a small island with only a few dozen residents. It is home to the Gullah Geechee, descendants of slaves brought to North America in the early 19th century.

The annual festival honors the Gullah Geechee language, cuisine and art.

None of the dead are believed to have been Sapelo residents.