At Least 7 Dead When Ferry Dock Gangway Collapses In GA

SAPELO ISLAND, GEORGIA — At least seven people have died dead after a gangway, which is part of a marina, collapsed on Sapelo Island in Georgia Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

NBC News is reporting the U.S. Coast Guard and state and local agencies responded to the incident at about 4:30 p.m. At least 20 people went into the water and the number of people injured, and the extent of injuries, is not immediately known.

At least seven people died, the AP is reporting. Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, said the dock collapsed as people were gathering on the island for a celebration of its Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants.

“There have been seven fatalities confirmed,” Jones said. “There have been multiple people transported to area hospitals, and we are continuing to search the water for individuals.”

The McIntosh County Office of the Sheriff alerted the public to "an active situation" on Sapelo Island in a message posted to the office's Facebook page at about 5 p.m.

"Multiple agencies have and are responding to assist those in need. We have set up a family re-unification point at the Elm Grove Baptist Church. We ask that anyone searching for family members, please check there first," according to the Facebook post. "We also request that people be mindful of emergency vehicles traveling in and out of the county."

Patch has reached out to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for more information and will post more as it becomes available.

This is a developing story. Check back to Patch for more details.