‘Etched in our memory forever’: 1 year later, Sapelo Island community grieves gangway collapse victims

SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - It’s been one year since seven people lost their lives after the gangway collapse on Sapelo Island.

This time last year, WTOC received a number of phone calls and messages to the newsroom that something had happened on the island. As reporters made their way to McIntosh County, it had been confirmed that seven people died after the gangway collapsed.

The tragedy left a heartbroken community that’s still grieving those losses and reliving that moment one year later.

Community still processing tragedy

“It’ll be etched in our memory forever as long as we’re in our right mind. Shocking,” said Griffin Lotson, mayor pro tem of the City of Darien.

Lotson spoke with WTOC as the community in McIntosh County wrapped their minds around the tragedy. He says that feeling lingers.

The cultural day festival those who died were attending, scheduled for the same week every year, didn’t happen this year.

“Others traumatically couldn’t handle it so a lot of that went on even in the ticket sales,” Lotson said.

He says although he was hopeful for the chance to reunite with the Sapelo Island community, it still hits home for him and his group, the Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters.

“We call them the ring shout five because five members of my group all went in the water, all would have drowned if someone didn’t save them,” Lotson said. “That’s what made me sick because not any of them saved themselves.”

He took photos this past weekend as many remembered the seven people that didn’t survive. All of them were over the age of 60.

He says it will take time but he’s confident they will pick up the pieces.

“It’s going to come back, we know that,” Lotson said. “But everybody’s still getting themselves together and organizing freshly after the memorial.”

Lawsuit continues

A lawsuit was filed on behalf of victims and survivors against construction companies that built and maintained the gangway. It’s being led by Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump and Attorney Chad Mance of Savannah.

We checked in with Mance, who said the only movement so far in the lawsuit is discussion about where it was filed, which is Gwinnett County, and if that could change to McIntosh County where the incident happened.