7 dead, many taken to hospital as Georgia ferry dock collapses

Seven people were killed Saturday when part of a ferry dock collapsed during an event honoring black slave descendants on Sapelo Island, Georgia, officials said.

According to reports, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which operates the dock, said, “Seven people have been confirmed dead.”

He said several people were taken to the hospital as rescue crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, McIntosh County Fire Department, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others searched the water, according to a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. According to the report, which operates the dock.

The gangway at the dock collapsed and people began falling into the water, Jones said.

The tragedy occurred as crowds gathered to celebrate the small Gullah-Geechee community of black slave descendants on the island.