Several injured after gangway collapse at popular Hilton Head marina, officials say
Eight people were hospitalized with minor injuries after a gangway collapsed Wednesday afternoon at Hilton Head Island’s Shelter Cove Marina, according to Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue. That walkway and four others were closed to the public shortly after.
About 15 to 20 people were on the gangway when it crashed into the water below around 3 p.m. Wednesday. By the time first responders arrived, all individuals were safely on the dock.
Thomas Lewis, the building official for the Town of Hilton Head Island, is working with marina management “to ensure all gangways are thoroughly evaluated by a structural engineer to prevent future incidents,” according to a HHIFR press release.
The path that collapsed led to Dock B, located near the Yacht Club Villas. It’s one of over a dozen gangways at Shelter Cove Marina, which is the largest deep-water dock on Hilton Head with space for nearly 200 boats.
Following the incident, town employees cordoned off the Dock B entrance with caution tape and displayed a placard saying the walkway was “not safe.” Similar signs were posted at Dock A immediately to its left and at both entrances to Dock C.
The marina’s service dock was also chained off with a sign reading “Do not enter: Town ordinance.”
The incident comes less than five months after a ferry dock collapsed on Georgia’s Sapelo Island, killing seven people who were visiting the area for a Gullah Geechee heritage festival. Georgia officials said the gangway had been inspected less than a year prior and “no areas of concern were present.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 4:37 PM.
