At least 20 people went into the water and seven died with others injured when a gangway collapsed on Saturday afternoon at Georgia's Sapelo Island.
Officials said at approximately 4:30 p.m., the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Georgia DNR), and multiple local, state, and federal agencies, responded to the gangway collapse at the Marsh Landing Dock.
Georgia DNR and multiple other emergency agencies deployed boats, equipped with side-scan sonar, and helicopters for search and rescue missions.
The gangway has been secured on Sapelo Island and the incident is currently under investigation, it was stated.
Georgia DNR said it will continue to work in coordination with local, state, and federal agencies, including Georgia State Patrol, McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office, McIntosh County Fire Department, and U.S. Coast Guard, among others.
Officials said, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved, including the entire Sapelo Island Community."
The gangway was part of a dock used for the boarding of a ferry.
A large crowd had gathered for a fall celebration by the Gullah-Geechee community descendants of black slaves.