On October 19, a tragic incident occurred at the ferry terminal on Sapelo Island, Georgia, when a boarding ramp collapsed, sending 20 passengers into the water. At least seven people lost their lives, and six others sustained serious injuries. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.

According to ABC News, around 3:50 PM, Irvin Jones and his wife were preparing to board the ferry. Shortly after stepping onto the ramp, Jones felt it shaking beneath his feet and realized something was wrong. In a moment of panic, he jumped back to the floating dock just before the ramp gave way.

Jones recounted, “I saw two girls fall into the water behind me as the ramp fell into the ocean. It all happened so fast; no one had time to react. It was truly horrific. I was less than eight feet away and saw someone drowning. A woman even jumped in to try to rescue a baby.”

His wife, Beverly Jones, expressed her lingering fear from the experience: “It was terrifying. The people who fell into the water were trying to grab hold of something, but there was nothing to grab onto.”

Walter Rabon, the director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, held a press conference shortly after the incident confirming that 20 tourists had fallen into the water, resulting in at least seven deaths and six serious injuries—a disaster that he described as historic for Sapelo Island.

Rabon stated that the aluminum boarding ramp had been installed in November 2021 for passenger use but hesitated to guarantee that it was checked daily for safety. He added, “Preliminary investigations confirm that the disaster was caused by the ramp’s collapse, with one end falling into the sea while the other remained attached to the floating dock.”

He noted that the incident coincided with an annual cultural event on Sapelo Island, attracting an additional 700 visitors and requiring extra ferries to transport them. When asked if the increased passenger load contributed to the ramp’s collapse, Rabon replied, “We are not ruling out any possibilities.” He revealed that investigators are looking into the maintenance records of the ramp: “I can say this was a structural flaw. Aluminum ramps like this typically require very little maintenance, but we will continue to monitor the investigation’s progress.”

In response to the tragic news, President Biden issued a statement expressing condolences, noting, “What should have been a celebration of cultural history turned into tragedy and disaster. The White House will remain in contact with officials in Georgia to provide any necessary assistance.”

Sapelo Island is a barrier island off the Georgia coast, accessible only by boat or ferry. Many residents are descendants of the Gullah-Geechee people, who were brought to the island as enslaved Africans in 1802 to cultivate crops along the coast.