As a new video came to light Monday showing the chaos and calamity of a ferry gangway collapse on a historic Georgia island that left seven senior citizens dead and three critically injured, survivors shared harrowing details of the disaster.
The new video taken by a witness and shared with ABC News captured the immediate aftermath of what authorities described as a “catastrophic failure” of an 80-foot aluminum ferry gangway Saturday afternoon at a landing dock on Sapelo Island, about 70 miles south of Savannah.
The dramatic footage showed numerous people screaming for help and clinging to the gangway as half of it lay in the water.
Rescuers, including good Samaritans, are seen in the video pulling people from the crippled gangway to safety as many other victims appeared to be caught in a strong current carrying them away from shore as life jackets were being thrown to them by the crew of a ferry they were about to board.
Investigators removed the gangway from the water Sunday evening. Video taken by an ABC News crew showed the gangway being placed on a barge and taken to a secure location off-site to be closely examined.
“We’re continuing to move forward with the pieces of the investigation in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources [DNR],” Kate Karwacki, the McIntosh County commissioner, told ABC News on Monday.