Gullah Geechee People

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    Dock Collapse in Georgia Strikes Sapelo Island Community Fighting for Its Culture

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    The deaths of seven people on Sapelo Island have brought to the fore longstanding frustrations among its Gullah Geechee community.The dozens of descendants of enslaved people who form the backbone of the Gullah Geechee community on Sapelo Island, off the coast of Georgia, have fought for years to protect their homes and traditions from the erosion of time and development.The deadly collapse on Saturday of a dockside gangway not only jolted the community into a deep grief but also brought to the fore longstanding frustrations over the treatment of residents and the state of the island’s infrastructure. Seven people were killed as they waited for a ferry back to the mainland after taking part in an annual cultural celebration on the island.“We are on Sapelo fighting for our survival,” said Reginald Hall, 59, who was among a group of residents who confronted officials during a weekend news conference to demand answers on the collapse of the dock.On Monday, state officials said they had removed the gangway as part of an investigation into its “catastrophic structural failure,” but they provided no new details on the cause of the collapse.Some residents questioned whether Georgia officials, who have responsibility for most of the island, had taken adequate precautions to prepare the dock for the influx of hundreds of visitors for the festivities. Officials said they had established additional ferry runs but did not rule out the possibility that the increased traffic contributed to the collapse.The collapse of the gangway set off a frenetic rescue effort.Lewis M. Levine/Associated PressWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      A Crack, a Shift, Then Screams: Witnesses Describe Georgia Dock Collapse That Killed 7

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      Investigators have begun looking for reasons behind the failure at a ferry dock on Sapelo Island, the site of a festival celebrating the heritage of descendants of enslaved people. They had come to Sapelo Island, just off the curve of the Georgia coast, for a celebration of resilience, of a people, of a culture that for generations had been so fragile but could not be broken.The smell of smoked mullet drifted. Vendors sold red peas and rice. Performers onstage presented poetry and sang African spirituals.By midafternoon on Saturday, dozens readied for the trip back to the mainland, a route beginning with a ferry known as the Annemarie waiting at the end of the floating dock in the marsh. But then, a strange cracking noise. The walkway to the dock suddenly shifted. Then it collapsed.“Everyone’s falling into the water, and you’re hearing screams,” said Michael Wood, 43, who had been waiting in line to board.On Sunday, members of the tight-knit Gullah Geechee community, descendants of formerly enslaved people in the Southeast, who had gathered for a festival celebrating their heritage, mourned four women and three men, all of them older than 70, who were killed. And officials began investigating how a short journey to the only way off the Georgia island could have led to such tragedy.“The initial findings of our investigation at this point showed a catastrophic failure of the gangway, causing it to collapse,” said Walter Rabon, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, adding that investigators and engineers will be gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. Three people were also injured and remain hospitalized in critical condition. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More