In a grave turn of events at the heart of a cultural celebration, the vibrancy of the Gullah-Geechee annual Cultural Day festival on Sapelo Island was shattered by a tragic dock collapse that claimed seven lives, all individuals over the age of 70. In response, Georgia’s attorney general has commissioned Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, an engineering firm, for an independent investigation into the incident, which occurred during a moment of reverence for a community founded by Black descendants of slaves. This initiative accompanies ongoing state probes by both the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for the dock, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.