ATLANTA — The tragic drowning of seven individuals off the coast of a Georgia island following the catastrophic failure of a ferry dock walkway has led to legal action by their families. These families have filed a lawsuit against the companies responsible for designing and constructing the faulty structure.
During the incident, a group of people was standing on the metal walkway, which extended over the water between a ferry and the dock on Sapelo Island. The walkway suddenly collapsed, causing many individuals to fall into the water and be carried away by the strong tidal currents. Some managed to cling to the damaged remains of the structure.
The disastrous event took place on October 19 as approximately 700 visitors arrived on Sapelo Island for a celebration in the small community of Hogg Hummock. This community is a historical site founded by formerly enslaved individuals post-Civil War. Notably isolated and accessible only by boat, it is among the few remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the southern United States.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the victims’ families, expressed the deep sorrow brought about by the incident, which was originally intended to be a celebration of cultural pride. Crump stressed the importance of the lawsuit in highlighting the tragedy that occurred.
The legal representatives assert that the collapsed 80-foot (24-meter) walkway suffered from inadequate structural reinforcement and faulty welding, compounded by a failure from the construction company to adhere to design specifications. They claim the design and construction were so flawed that any knowledgeable professional should have recognized the instability of the structure from the onset.
Regina Brinson, one of the survivors involved in the lawsuit, shared her harrowing experience. She was on the walkway when she heard a crack and saw family friend Carlotta McIntosh fall into the water with her walker. Brinson herself fell, and to survive, she had to detach her uncle Isaiah Thomas, who also fell, from her clothing. Tragically, both Thomas and McIntosh lost their lives.
Another survivor, Kimberly Wood, recounted falling into the water while holding her 2-year-old daughter. Her 8-year-old daughter clung to the remains of the walkway. Wood managed to stay afloat until reaching a life preserver thrown from the ferry, though she sustained a shoulder injury, and her daughter suffered a hand wound.
The lawsuit has named four private contractors associated with designing and constructing the ferry dock and walkway for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. One firm involved in fabricating the walkway, Crescent Equipment Co., has not commented, nor has the general contractor or the engineering firm, which remain silent on the pending legal matters.
The Department of Natural Resources is not targeted in the lawsuit, as it relied on private contractors for the execution of the project. Despite the walkway’s supposed capacity to support 320 people, only 40 were present when it failed. An expected certification by a professional engineer was also allegedly overlooked.
Filed in Gwinnett County State Court, the lawsuit seeks damages for negligence, wrongful deaths, and personal injuries from the collapse. Meanwhile, state officials, along with a private firm, continue to investigate the incident’s cause.