GOLDEN RAY

Fishers, crabbers and other seafaring businesses, including airboat tour guides, have filed suit in federal court against the owner of the Golden Ray and the salvage company that dismantled the ship, claiming the environmental damage from the capsizing and salvage has wrecked their livelihoods.

Glynn County has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the owner of the Golden Ray, the company involved in the salvage of the capsized ship and others, claiming significant damage to the coastal environment and to the county’s economy.

There was a heartfelt salute Thursday night to members of the Glynn County Fire Department, the Tow Pilots Association, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others — for all their efforts in the early hours of the Golden Ray cargo ship capsizing in the St. Simons Sound.

State environmental regulators are proposing a $3 million fine for the Hyundai Glovis Co. logistics and shipping firm, the company behind the Golden Ray cargo ship that overturned in the St. Simons Sound two years ago.

With the removal Monday of the final giant chunk of the overturned Golden Ray cargo ship, officials announced Tuesday that those involved in the process over the last two years had “accomplished a great feat.”

The final giant chunk of an overturned cargo ship was removed from waters along the coast of Georgia on Monday, almost a year after demolition began on the wreck that tipped over with 4,200 automobiles in its cargo decks.

Crews are working on removing the final section of the capsized Golden Ray cargo ship and Pollution Response Teams say they recovered debris during the lifting operations.

As the Golden Ray removal operations continue, crews are working to refit the barge that will carry away the remaining pieces of the wreck.

Federal investigators say an officer's errors in calculating the stability of a cargo ship carrying more than 4,000 new cars likely caused the giant vessel to capsize on the Georgia seacoast.

Lafourche Parish is a small parish south of New Orleans, Lousiana and also the place that Buddy Cantrelle calls home.

Two years ago Wednesday, the 600-foot Korean car carrier the Golden Ray capsized while sailing out of the Port of Brunswick.

Nearly two years after a 600-foot Korean car carrier overturned onto St. Simons Sound while sailing out of the Port of Brunswick, salvage crews completed the final cut on the last remaining piece of the shipwreck on Saturday.

Salvage crews have finished cutting apart the last two sections of a cargo ship that overturned along the Georgia coast two years ago, officials said Sunday. The multiagency command overseeing demolition of the South Korean freighter Golden Ray said in a news release that the final cut was completed Saturday. The Golden Ray capsized soon after leaving the Port of Brunswick with 4,200 vehicles in its cargo decks on Sept. 8, 2019.

Nearly two years after a 600-foot Korean car carrier overturned onto St. Simons Sound while sailing out of the Port of Brunswick, salvage crews are now cutting the final remaining piece of the shipwreck into two sections that will be hauled away for scrap.

Salvage crews have began cutting apart the final two sections remaining of a cargo ship that overturned along the coast of Georgia almost two years ago.

A venting pipe is said to be what caused an oil leak on the Golden Ray, an overturned cargo ship being dismantled along the coast of Georgia.

More than 35,000 pounds of oiled sand has been collected by environmental cleanup teams after an oil leak into the St. Simons Sound from the Golden Ray, an overturned cargo ship being dismantled, the News4Jax I-TEAM learned Monday.

Pollution response teams worked to contain oil that was discharged Saturday after demolition crews finished cutting away the sixth of eight sections of the Golden Ray, a giant cargo ship that tipped over leaving the Port of Brunswick nearly two years ago.

When the giant cargo ship began to tip over off the Georgia coast, harbor pilot Jonathan Tennant found himself on his side, screaming orders in the darkness while flying debris that felt like gravel pelted him.

A giant crane began Thursday slicing section six of the giant shipwreck that has laid on its side in St. Simons Sound for nearly two years.

The towering crane being used to saw apart an overturned cargo ship off St. Simons Sound has paused work for maintenance and repairs.

Environmentalists are working to determine if Tropical Storm Elsa worsened existing problems resulting from the stranded wreckage of the Golden Ray.

Health officials warned swimmers and fishermen to be on the lookout for oil sheens off two Georgia islands after oil spilled from an overturned cargo ship while crews were dismantling it.

A large amount of oil has escaped a barrier after it was released while crews were dismantling an overturned cargo ship along the Georgia coast, the Coast Guard said Thursday.

A large amount of oil has escaped a barrier after it was released while crews were dismantling an overturned cargo ship along the Georgia coast, the Coast Guard said Thursday. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Himes said it was hard to estimate how much oil leaked, but it has affected marsh grass along the shoreline. Himes said changing currents can push oil past the barrier surrounding the ship.

Salvage crews dismantling an overturned cargo ship along the coast of Georgia are adding explosives to their toolbox.

It’s been a week since the Golden Ray caught on fire for the fourth time in the St. Simon’s Sound.

May 16—Cutting operations are on hold as engineers moved in Saturday to make a post-fire assessment of the shipwrecked Golden Ray, the remains which became engulfed in thick black smoke and raging flames early Friday afternoon. Salvors moved in with five firefighting tugboats that siphoned and poured thousands of gallons of saltwater into the burning steel carcass, extinguishing the fire ...

After firefighters battled a massive fire aboard what’s left of the capsized Golden Ray in St. Simons Sound on Friday, the Coast Guard says the fire has been suppressed.

The saga of the Golden Ray began on September 8, 2019.

Fire burned Friday inside the remains of an overturned cargo ship being dismantled on the Georgia coast. Sue Inman of the Altamaha Riverkeeper conservation group told The Associated Press she could see flames shooting from the open ends and the top of the Golden Ray on Friday afternoon as she watched from a boat about 300 yards (275 meters) away near St. Simons Island.

What remains of the Golden Ray, the massive ship that capsized in the St. Simons Sound in September 2019, caught fire Friday and initially produced a massive amount of black smoke blowing toward Jekyll Island.

Crews have started cutting the next section of the Golden Ray, which capsized in the St. Simons Sound in September 2019.

The demolition of an overturned cargo ship in the St. Simons Sound is halfway done after a fourth section of the Golden Ray was sliced, separated and lifted from the wreck.

Another section of the Golden Ray has been separated from the rest of the wreck.

Salvage operations of the massive Golden Ray ship from St. Simons Sound continue as part of the response team concentrates on the environmental impact.

An Incident Response team member holds a piece of debris recovered from St. Simons Sound. “It’s a disappointingly slow pace.”AdSalvage experts decided more than a year ago that the Golden Ray, measuring 656 feet long, was too big to remove intact. A hydrographic survey vessel creating imagery of the seabed around the Golden Ray wreck. AdConservationists worry the longer the shipwreck stays in St. Simons Sound, the greater pollution threat it poses to the area's waterways, beaches and saltwater marshes. Paul Hankins oversaw planning for a smaller-scale demolition of the Golden Ray until his employer, Donjon-SMIT, lost the job to a competitor.

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2019, file photo, a Moran tugboat nears the stern of the capsizing vessel Golden Ray near St. Simons Sound off the coast of Georgia. Both ends of the cargo ship have been cut away and carried off by barges in a pair of giant chunks. “It’s a disappointingly slow pace.”Salvage experts decided more than a year ago that the Golden Ray, measuring 656 feet (199 meters) long, was too big to remove intact. Crews spent the entire month of February attempting a third cut through the ship's engine room, a section fortified with thicker steel. Paul Hankins oversaw planning for a smaller-scale demolition of the Golden Ray until his employer, Donjon-SMIT, lost the job to a competitor.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Salvage crews are preparing to take a critical step in removing the wreckage from the Golden Ray in St. Simons Sound. Environmentalists are concerned because crews will soon sever the capsized cargo ship’s fuel line. Hundreds of vehicles are still aboard the vessel, which is why pieces of large debris are washing up along some beaches in the area. St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command plans on cutting through the fuel truck in the coming days, which environmentalists worry could end up releasing the largest amount of fuel into the St Simons Sound. Ad“We anticipate if there is that quantity of fuel that the large release will come when they lift the section versus cutting,” Sams said.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Salvage crews began a third cut into the cargo ship Golden Ray on Wednesday morning. The bow and stern of the 656-foot car carrier that overturned leaving the Port of Brunswick in September 2019 have already been cut off, lifted and removed. An 80-pound anchor chain operated by a heavy lifting crane is tearing through the hull, cutting the ship into massive slices. The St. Simons Incident Response said each section weighs between 2,700-4,100 tons. Responders begin 3rd cut into the Golden Ray.

The Riverkeeper says about 44,000 gallons of petroleum product are aboard the Golden Ray. Around Driftwood Beach, Inman found several pieces of debris, including bumper parts, melted plastic and pieces of fiberglass. From the sky, it’s clear the ship is leaking petroleum after the cut of the stern earlier this month. @ 5 — The Golden Ray is clearly leaking petroleum product after 2nd cut and removal of the stern earlier this month. Altamaha Riverkeepers monitoring Jekyll Island looking for any debris that washes up from the Golden Ray.

The next section of the Golden Ray is ready to be put on a barge and taken away. Crews completed cutting operations to separate the stern from the Golden Ray on Saturday evening, the St. Simons Sound Incident Response said Sunday. Full Screen Full Screen 1 / 4 The next piece of the Golden Ray is lifted. Salvagers are cutting the Golden Ray into eight pieces. Crews successfully cut the bow section of the Golden Ray at the end of November and then placed it onto barge Julie B.

Part of a cargo ship that became stranded off the Georgia coast is headed to a recycling facility in Louisiana as crews start making the second cut into the Golden Ray. The bow left St. Simons Sound on Tuesday, squeezing under the Sidney Lanier Bridge. Salvagers are cutting the Golden Ray into eight pieces. (St. Simons Sound Incident Response)A major concern is the environmental impact. Once the bow is delivered to the recycling facility in Louisiana, the barge will return to the St. Simons Sound and will be on standby to transport the stern.

The next steps in the Golden Ray removal operations are underway. The stern is the next section of the ship to be cut and lifted out of the St. Simons Sound. Photos from St. Simons Sound Incident Response show divers preparing for the second cut and other equipment being prepared for rigging. The Stern is the next section of the ship to be cut and lifted out of the St. Simons Sound. To report oiled wildlife: 800-261-0980To report pollution: 800-424-8802To report debris: 912-944-5620We continue to document and clean up debris with members of Unified Command.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Gal. – Crews finished cutting the first of eight sections of the 656-foot Golden Ray on Saturday. “They must have hit something, because what it sounded like was bowling ball going down a metal staircase,” a St. Simons Sound resident said. (St. Simons Sound Incident Response)The grassroots organization, Altamaha Riverkeeper, also sent News4Jax video that shows equipment and other items falling from the wreck. Authorities are asking anyone who sees debris from the Golden Ray to report it to the debris reporting hotline, at 912-944-5620.

A few local waterways, including the St. Simons Sound, have made the 2020 “Dirty Dozen” list released by the Georgia Water Coalition. “It’s important to know that it doesn’t mean that it’s the most polluted area in Georgia. The request is simple: The Georgia Water Coalition wants a damage assessment done in the St. Simons Sound. READ: Georgia Water Coalition’s 2020 Dirty Dozen reportThis is the second year the St. Simons Sound has been on the “Dirty Dozen” list for the state of Georgia, but the Altamaha River has been on the list eight times, breaking a record. A pulp mill sits along the Altamaha River and, for years, there have been issues with color and odor seeping into the water, according to the Georgia Water Coalition.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The removal of the Golden Ray, the overturned cargo ship in the St. Simons Sound, was temporarily delayed after a chain broke on Saturday while crews were trying to dismantle the 656-foot vessel loaded with vehicles. According to the St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command, the VB-10000 heavy-lifting crane began cutting into the bow section of the ship at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. But just 25 hours into the operation, the cutting chain broke. Crews were able to retrieve and repair the broken link on the chain soon after. The vessel was supposed to be cut into eight pieces in a 7-day process, taking 24 hours for each cut.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Long-awaited work on the capsized cargo ship carrying more than 4,200 new cars has finally begun. Friday, crews started cutting the South-Korean owned Golden Ray into pieces. It has been more than a year since the 656-foot vessel loaded with vehicles listed heavily and rolled onto its starboard side in the St. Simons Sound. How did the Golden Ray capsize? Need more Golden Ray stories?

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The Versabar 10,000 has finally arrived at the salvage operations of the Golden Ray, the overturned cargo ship in the St. Simons Sound. Crews will use the giant VB 10,000 to dismantle the Golden Ray into eight sections. More than 71 tons of equipment and inventory remains in the Golden Ray wreckage, which includes thousands of new vehicles. It will take a few days before the VB 10,000 will be positioned over the Golden Ray. The VB 10,000 weighs 7,500 tons and is the largest lift vessel ever built in the United States.

The heavy-lifting crane that has been sitting in the Port of Fernandina since early July is expected to make its way to the St. Simons Sound as early as Tuesday. Partly submerged and waiting to be dismantled, the next step in the Golden Ray removal operation is expected to happen this week, weather permitting. Responders will use the crane to cut the Golden Ray wreck into eight sections, which will then be placed onto barges. We’ve seen this for so long,” Long said. The Unified Command is telling boaters to steer clear of the environmental protection barrier that is set up around the wreck.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Two Georgia lawmakers said they’re growing increasingly concerned by the persistent setbacks that have plagued the Golden Ray salvage operation. The 656-foot cargo ship has been sitting on its side in the St. Simons Sound for more than a year. Engineers originally hoped to have the Golden Ray out of the St. Simons Sound before peak hurricane season, that didn’t happen because of storms and COVID-19. READ: Letter from Congressmen to Golden Ray Unified CommandCarter and Purdue are now demanding weekly updates from the Unified Command and detailed explanations for any delays. MORE: Follow all our coverage of the Golden Ray sagaThe latest update from Unified Command says crews are now installing pilings to secure the crane.

The multi-agency command overseeing the salvage of the South Korean ship Golden Ray had hoped to start cutting the giant vessel apart in early October. The command released a statement Wednesday saying it will be “several weeks” more before crews can begin dismantling the ship. “There’s been no emerging environmental impact.”The Golden Ray capsized Sept. 8, 2019, off St. Simons Island, about 70 miles (200 kilometers) south of Savannah. The Coast Guard held hearings on the cause of the shipwreck last month. An expert concluded the Golden Ray tipped over because unstable loading had left its center of gravity too high.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – A U.S. Coast Guard analysis found that a cargo ship overturned after departing a Georgia seaport because of unstable loading that left its center of gravity too high, making the vessel susceptible to rolling over, an expert told officials investigating the shipwreck Tuesday. Coast Guard Lt. Ian Oviatt testified that his analysis found no fault with the design of the South Korean-owned Golden Ray. “The cause of the vessel capsizing was lack of righting energy due to the way the vessel was loaded,” Oviatt said. But once the Golden Ray began to capsize, there was likely little they could do, said Jeffrey Falzarano, a professor of ocean engineering for Texas A&M University who also testified Tuesday. Blake Welborn, the Coast Guard officer leading the investigation.