The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday placed new signs at the gangway entrance at the mainland Sapelo Island ferry dock in Meridian “out of an abundance of caution.”
The signage limits the number of individuals on the gangway at any given time to eight adults or four people if dock carts or other equipment are being transported on the gangway.
Seven people died, and at least 20 people went into the water when the gangway from the Marsh Landing Dock on Sapelo Island collapsed as crows converged on the island for its annual Cultural Day, a key celebration for the Gullah-Geechee community.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said it last inspected the gangway that collapsed at Marsh Landing Dock on Sapelo Island less than a year ago. The state agency said Crescent Equipment Company performed the December 2023 inspection.
On Sunday afternoon, the gangway was removed and transported to a secured facility. The DNR Critical Incident Reconstruction Team and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determine the cause of the catastrophic structural failure of the gangway.
Sapelo Island Ferry resumed operations on Monday.