Seven Killed in Georgia Sapelo Island Dock Collapse

Authorities are investigating ‘catastrophic’ failure.

On Saturday afternoon, a gangway on Georgia’s Sapelo Island ferry docks suffered a catastrophic collapse during a fall celebration on the island which prompted massive rescue efforts. The gangway collapse claimed the lives of at least seven people and injured many others when at least 20 people plunged into the water. Emergency rescue crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, the McIntosh County Fire Department, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and other agencies were using sonar and helicopters to search the water for additional victims. The cause of the collapse and the number of victims involved remains under active investigation.

Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky is one of the most successful structural collapse and maritime disaster firms in the country. Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky’s unrivaled experience includes recovering $1.2 billion for the victims of the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, which claimed the lives of 98 people; $227 million for the victims  of the Market Street Building Collapse in Philadelphia; over $150 million for the families who lost loved ones in the 2018 Duck Boat Disaster in Branson, Missouri; $101 million for the victims of the Tropicana Garage Collapse in Atlantic City, NJ; and $17 million for the victims of the fatal Duck Boat crash in Philadelphia. The firm is currently representing those affected by the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendeksy has handled dozens of high-profile structural collapse and maritime cases, and has the experience and resources required to handle these complex disaster matters. Attorneys are standing by to help and are available for commentary as the situation develops.