‘Outside our jurisdiction’: Shelter Cove gangway collapse reveals gaps in marina oversight
With the tragedy of Sapelo Island’s dock collapse last October that killed seven people and last week’s accident at Shelter Cove, many are wondering just how safe are our local waterfront amenities and who’s responsible for inspections.
Nearly everything on Hilton Head gets inspected by some local, state, or federal agency. Restaurants are inspected to ensure they don’t make people sick. Elevators are inspected to make sure they don’t fail with people inside. New buildings are inspected to make sure they’re structurally sound and fire-safe.
But there’s one place where safety regulations could slip through the cracks — and into the water.
The docks and gangways at Hilton Head’s picturesque publicly accessible, privately owned marinas, such as Shelter Cove and South Beach, aren’t routinely inspected by town. While some state agencies in South Carolina have oversight over the environmental impacts of waterfront developments, they aren’t tasked with routinely inspecting the structures for safety.
A surprise swim with deadly consequences
Gangways are short bridges that connect docks to boardwalks or piers. Two notable dock gangway collapses have made headlines in the past six months, one with deadly consequences.
In October, the gangway at a dock on Sapelo Island in Georgia collapsed, dropping at least 20 people into the Duplin River, the current pushing them downstream. Seven victims died.
Last week, the Dock B gangway at the Shelter Cove Marina gave way with about 15 to 20 people on it, officials said. Eight people were hospitalized with minor injuries — mostly scrapes and bruises, according to a police report.
Many fishing charters and boat tours dock at Shelter Cove, although it’s unclear what kind of waterfront activity the gangway collapse victims were partaking in that day.
Photos of the broken gangway at Shelter Cove appear to show that the metal structure’s bolts didn’t hold against the deteriorating concrete aggregate, ripping away a chunk of the surrounding wood. The marina, first built in 1983, is owned the Palmetto Dunes Resort, a subsidiary of Greenwood Communities and Resorts.
It’s unclear if or when the marina structures were recently replaced or renovated, or when they have last been inspected by a third party. Karen Kozemchak, the Director of Marketing for the Palmetto Dunes Resort, did not respond to a phone call Tuesday.
Are Hilton Head’s marinas slipping through the cracks?
Who is responsible for making sure Hilton Head Island’s docks and gangways don’t drop people into the water? Asking that question leads local and state agencies to point fingers at each other.
Heather Woolwine, Communications Director for the Town of Hilton Head, stated that the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services had jurisdiction over the docks and boardwalk areas.
“They permit and regulate piers, docks, boardwalks, etc. that are located over water,” Woolwine wrote in an emailed statement. “The Town does not permit or review these structures, nor do we have the jurisdiction to inspect or review these structures for safety under normal conditions.”
After the Shelter Cove incident, the town’s building official was asked to inspect the structures “as a matter of immediate public safety concern,” but “the repair and ongoing inspection of the existing structures are outside our jurisdiction,” she added.
A spokesperson for the DES, however, stated the department “doesn’t have a role in inspecting or enforcing building code standards for docks or marinas.”
“Our Bureau of Coastal Management does have a permitting and inspection role for docks, including commercial docks and marinas, within the State’s critical areas — but our role with issuing those permits and performing inspections is related to environmental impacts to coastal waters, tidelands, beaches and beach/dune systems,” wrote Public Information Officer Laura Renwick in an emailed statement.
The Island Packet pointed out this contradiction to Woolwine, who stated, “I don’t have any further comment than what I’ve provided.”
Gangway safety left up to owners
The Island Packet surveyed several publicly accessible marinas on Hilton Head Island to find out if they’d been visited by any state or local agencies.
The Harbour Town Yacht Basin, home to the Hilton Head’s iconic red and white lighthouse, is a popular destination for residents and tourists alike. The marina provides access to a number of cruises, boat tours, and fishing charters. The gangways at this marina, which is owned by The Sea Pines Resort, are bolted to the concrete walkways that surround the harbor.
Rob Bender, Director of Recreation & Marine Operations at The Sea Pines Resort, didn’t recall any state or local agency paying a visit to inspect the gangways. “We’ve not had any type of inspection,” he said. “We always are ensuring that we are maintaining our facilities at the Harbour Town to ensure the safety of our guests,” he added.
The Palmetto Bay Marina also offers access to a number of fishing charters. Dockhand Rhett Helland said the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources does come to inspect the marina, but the focus of the inspection is “mainly environmental” — for example, to check if boats are leaking fuel.
The SCDNR does take a look at the docks “if something’s messed up, or if something looks bad,” he said. “But we do stay on top of it pretty heavily on the maintenance,” he added.
The marina receives federal grant money through the SCDNR, so Helland wasn’t sure if the state agency also inspects any other marinas on the island. The agency “does not perform inspections of all docks and marinas in South Carolina,” according to SCDNR spokesperson Stephen Fastenau.
County-owned docks get frequent check-ups
The public ferry to Daufuskie Island docks at the C.C. Haigh Boat Landing, located on Pinckney Island between Hilton Head and Bluffton.
The gangway features an item not seen at any of the other marinas we surveyed: a capacity sign.
“NO MORE THAN 5 PEOPLE ON THE GANGWAY AT ONE TIME,” the sign reads. If the long metal gangway were to collapse, it would drop its passengers into the MacKay Creek.
Unlike the docks at Shelter Cove and Harbour Town, which are owned by private entities, the Pinckney Island ferry dock is owned by the public.
According to Beaufort County spokesperson Hannah Nichols, the county’s Public Works inspects all county-owned public docks and landings on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, and after major storms or natural disasters.
As for the other docks, Nichols added, “I would recommend you check with South Carolina DES.”
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:56 PM.
