Seven people are dead and half a dozen others were critically injured after a gangway that's part of a ferry dock collapsed on Georgia’s Sapelo Island on Saturday.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Walter Rabon said Sunday morning that at least 40 people were on the gangway and that half fell into the water. The dock gave way before 4 p.m. in a "catastrophic failure," prompting a response from the Coast Guard and state and local agencies.
"It is a structural failure," 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 a preliminary report indicated that the gangway collapsed in the middle while the ferry was being loaded with passengers.
Rabon said three people remained in critical condition Sunday morning.
The Coast Guard was part of an active search for survivors Saturday night, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie Emery said.
"This is not in a recovery phase at this time," she said.
Two Coast Guard air crews, one of them attached to an MH-65 helicopter, were deployed, Emery said.
Videos shared with NBC News showed the heroic efforts made to rescue those who fell, some by bystanders who were on their stomachs reaching into the water and others throwing out life jackets to help people. A group of people helped uniformed first responders carry what seemed to be a person in a makeshift stretcher of blankets.
A video showed a man administering chest compressions to an unconscious man in an attempt to revive him, with another person appearing to do the same to someone else behind him.
A reunification center was set up at Elm Grove Baptist Church in nearby Meridian, the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
The Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society organized its annual Cultural Day celebration on the island Saturday, calling it "our most celebrated event." It's not clear whether celebrants were on the gangway.
"The Sapelo Island community is grateful for the outpouring of love and support, and we ask that you join us in praying for the families of those who were impacted by this tragedy," the society said in a statement Saturday night.
Tyler Jones, a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources, said a celebration of Gullah Geechee culture was underway on the island when the gangway collapsed, The Associated Press reported.
The centuries-old culture has been maintained by descendants of West and Central African slaves along the coast of the Southeastern U.S. who were able to retain many of their Indigenous African traditions.
According to Rabon, fewer than 100 people travel to and from the island by ferry daily, but upward of 700 people were visiting for Saturday's celebration.
President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday night that he would make federal resources available to affected parties, including the Gullah Geechee.
"We are heartbroken to learn about the ferry dock walkway collapse on Georgia’s Sapelo Island," Biden said, speaking on behalf of himself and the first lady. "What should have been a joyous celebration of Gullah-Geechee culture and history instead turned into tragedy and devastation."
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., called the news “a tragic end to a joyous celebration” on X.
“The heart of every Georgian is with the Gullah Geechee community & the people of Sapelo Island tonight,” he said.
In a statement, Gov. Brian Kemp said he, his wife and their daughters are “heartbroken by today’s tragedy on Sapelo Island.”
“As state and local first responders continue to work this active scene, we ask that all Georgians join us in praying for those lost, for those still in harm’s way, and for their families,” he said.
Department of Natural Resources background information about the gangway shows the associated dock is used by public ferry vessels, the University of Georgia’s research trawler and some small boats.
Sapelo Island, on the Atlantic Coast, is about 72 miles south of Savannah.
CORRECTION (Oct. 20, 2024, 12:30 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article referred to Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie Emery by the wrong gender. She is a woman.
