FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – The same company that manufactured the gangway that collapsed during a fireworks celebration in Fernandina Beach a month ago is also the fabricator behind the gangway that collapsed last year on Sapelo Island, killing seven people, according to court records.
The city of Fernandina Beach confirmed that Crescent Marine Access Equipment manufactured the gangway that collapsed during the fireworks display on July 4th.
Jeff Stewart, who lives at the marina near the collapsed gangway, described the moment he heard the structure give way.
“We were sitting up on the top watching the fireworks, and heard a crunch, turned around and saw the gangway went down,” Stewart said.
He said that very quickly after the gangway collapsed, they realized no one was hurt.
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“You know, some minor stuff, just too many people on the walkway,” he said.
The Sapelo Island tragedy in October involved a gangway collapse that resulted in seven deaths. Crescent Marine Access Equipment is one of multiple companies named in the recently filed lawsuit by the victims.
The lawsuit reads, “Defendant, Crescent, was the company hired to design, fabricate, and deliver/install the gangways on the Project, including the subject 80-foot gangway, and thus, Defendant, Crescent, was required to design the subject gangway in compliance with the design criteria set forth in the Project Specifications.”
Back in Fernandina, a preliminary report by engineering firm Passero Associates, obtained by Jax Today, indicated that the Fernandina gangway may have been overloaded.
Read the full report below:
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The report says:
“The gangway was likely loaded upwards of 200%, or greater, beyond that which it was originally designed to support.”
The report also noted that video footage showed between 50 to 100 people on the gangway.
The report also said that “there could be other underlying and contributing factors attributed to the failure that have not been investigated at this time.”
News4JAX reached out to the City Manager’s Office and was sent an email containing follow-up questions regarding the preliminary report by the engineering firm.
“The conversation about the collapse is still in process. We consider the Passero report preliminary findings, only. A few follow up questions we’d like answered include the direction of travel of the patrons, how the number of patrons was determined, a description of adjoining ramps, and calculations on the load. Additionally, the gangway was removed and is being stored off site for insurance adjusters to examine. No claims for damages or injuries have been made against the City.”
The city also said signs are up at the marina explaining that visitors are not supposed to stand on the gangways.