Prior to the collapse, hundreds of people had gathered at a festival to celebrate the Gullah-Geechee community on the island. The Associated Press reported that visitors were boarding a ferry to take them back to the mainland when the tragedy unfolded.

Hundreds were visiting Sapelo Island in Georgia for a fall festival spotlighting the history and culture of its tiny Gullah-Geechee community.

Georgia authorities say they are investigating the catastrophic failure of a dock gangway that collapsed, killing seven on Sapelo Island off the state's Atlantic seacoast