At least seven people were killed and multiple others injured after a part of a boat dock collapsed during a celebration on Sapelo Island off the coast of Georgia. The incident occurred during a festival honoring the Gullah-Geechee community of Black slave descendants. U.S. Coast Guard ships were dispatched for search and rescue efforts, as at least 20 people were thrown into the Atlantic waters due to the collapse. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, and Coast Guard helicopters and boats were utilized to assist in the search for missing individuals throughout the night. Sapelo Island, home to a historic Black community of descendants of former enslaved people, is only accessible by boat and was hosting Cultural Day, an annual festival commemorating the island’s unique heritage. The Gullah-Geechee people, also known as Geechee in Georgia, are recognized for preserving much of their African heritage due to their isolated location. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources expressed their condolences and offered thoughts and prayers to those affected by the tragic event on the island.
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