Teams cut Golden Ray and move on to next steps in removal process

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Gal. – The crews completed the first of eight sections of the 656-foot Golden Ray on Saturday. The ship overturned last year in September. Cutting operations started three weeks ago.

“They must have hit something because it looked like a bowling ball coming down a metal staircase,” said a resident of St. Simons Sound. “It wasn’t very noisy. As long as the doors and the affairs of the house were closed, it hadn’t been bad. But last night we heard a rise in the noise level and we looked outside and could see that they were separating the section.

Twenty-two days after the start of the cut, the teams lifted the first section into the air and onto a barge. There were several delays in cutting operations due to Tropical Storm Eta and a break in the cutting chain.

“It was really interesting, we saw a few things, kind of fall off the lift section. With the binoculars, we can see the cars in the lifted section, on all floors, ”said the resident. “The cars are confused, some are upside down, others you look at the roofs, we can see the red, white and black cars. They are definitely in all sorts of directions and not in great shape.

A massive chain tears the hull of the destroyed car transporter. The next step will be to lift the section onto a barge which will later be recycled in Louisiana.
A massive chain tears the hull of the destroyed car transporter. The next step will be to lift the section onto a barge which will later be recycled in Louisiana. (Response to St. Simons Sound Incident)

The base organization, Altamaha Riverkeeper, also sent a video to News4Jax which shows equipment and other objects falling from the wreckage.

Riverkeepers say while patrolling the water and the Sound Shoreline they found several pieces of wreckage from the boat and cars, some of which are oiled.

Authorities are asking anyone who sees wreckage from the Golden Ray to report it to the Debris Reporting Hotline at 912-944-5620.

Authorities are also reminding people not to distract responders while they focus on the rescue operation. This includes flying drones, small planes and boats near the barrier.

Altamaha Riverkeeper officials say some of the ship’s sections will be brought to Louisiana.

Preparations for the second cut are underway.

Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.

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