They had journeyed to Sapelo Island, nestled just off the Georgia coast, to honor resilience—of a people and a culture that, despite generations of fragility, remained unbroken.

The air was filled with the aroma of smoked mullet, while vendors offered red peas and rice. Performers onstage shared poetry and sang African spirituals.

By midafternoon on Saturday, many prepared to return to the mainland via a ferry named Annemarie, docked at the floating walkway in the marsh. Suddenly, a loud cracking sound echoed as the walkway shifted and then collapsed.

“People were falling into the water, and there were screams everywhere,” recounted Michael Wood, 43, who was in line to board.

On Sunday, the Gullah Geechee community, descendants of formerly enslaved individuals in the Southeast, gathered to mourn the loss of four women and three men—each over the age of 70—who tragically died. Meanwhile, officials launched an investigation into how a simple trip off the Georgia island could result in such a disaster.

“Our initial investigation suggests a catastrophic failure of the gangway, leading to its collapse,” stated Walter Rabon, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, noting that investigators and engineers would be collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. Three others were injured and remained hospitalized in critical condition.

Mr. Wood, a quality assurance engineer, was among the hundreds attending the annual Gullah Geechee festival, which celebrates their heritage.

Members of this community, residing along the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and northern Florida, are descendants of enslaved West Africans brought to the southeastern United States over 200 years ago.

The Sapelo Island festival showcases their language, cuisine, and art. Officials reported approximately 700 attendees on Saturday.

Mr. Wood’s mother was born on Sapelo Island, and he had brought his wife and two children with him.

After the walkway’s collapse, Mr. Wood managed to rescue his mother, who had fallen into the water. He spotted his 8-year-old daughter, Hailey, clinging to a wooden beam attached to the dock.

His wife, Kimberly, had also fallen in while desperately holding onto their 2-year-old daughter, Riley. Just five years earlier, Ms. Wood, an accountant, had started swimming lessons; her final lesson before the pandemic focused on treading water.

“The current was too strong. I was treading water with Riley at my side,” Ms. Wood, 42, recalled. “I took off my backpack, and it floated. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, my bag floats!’ so I put one arm on it and held Riley with the other.”

People on the ferry began throwing life jackets and floatation devices into the water. Ms. Wood paddled to one and clung to Riley, whose lips were turning blue and teeth chattering. Finally, a man came to their aid and pulled them to safety.

The Wood family was eventually reunited, embracing each other tightly.

This was a moment the victims’ families would never share.

Charles Houston, 77, had attended the festival with his daughter to support friends but never returned to his home in Darien, Ga.

Mr. Houston had served as a chaplain for various state law enforcement agencies, often bringing cookies to dispatch offices and reaching out to officers on somber anniversaries.

Just last month, he had comforted students and teachers after a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. “He had such a giving heart and was very selfless,” said his friend Chip Strickland.

The McIntosh County coroner, Melvin Amerson, identified the other victims: Jacqueline Crews Carter, 75; Cynthia Gibbs, 74; Carlotta McIntosh, 93; and Isaiah Thomas, 79, from Jacksonville, Fla. Queen Welch, 76, and William Johnson Jr., 73, hailed from Atlanta.

William Johnson had served as a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and later worked for Lockheed Martin. An avid cyclist, he was studying to become a minister and had served as a deacon for 15 years.

“He was a mentor for anyone willing to learn,” said his son, William Johnson III.

The couple had recently begun to travel more often, taking a weekend trip from their home in Lithia Springs, Ga., 320 miles away. Both fell into the water, but Ms. Johnson survived.

“She was the queen of his life,” their son said. “They loved each other deeply.”

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is being assisted in the investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Coast Guard, the State Patrol, and Georgia Emergency Management.

Tyler Jones, a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources, mentioned that a portion of the dock had been built, but not installed, by Crescent Equipment Company, based about 25 miles inland from Sapelo. The company declined to comment on the incident, and it remains unclear who was responsible for the dock’s installation.

After the collapse, dive teams from nearby counties were dispatched for search and rescue, but many bystanders acted as emergency responders.

Maurice Bailey, 55, was attending the festival when he found himself providing first aid and assisting in recovering bodies from the water. “A lot of people jumped in and did what they had to do,” he noted.

Mr. Bailey, who runs a community advocacy and conservation group, has deep ties to the island. His mother, Cornelia Bailey, was known as the griot of Sapelo, making Saturday’s tragedy all the more personal.

“I didn’t want to look into the faces of the victims,” he admitted. “I didn’t want that image stuck in my mind.”

Reginald Hall, 59, described the scene as complete chaos. A Sapelo resident and activist within the Gullah Geechee community, he rushed to the dock minutes after the collapse to help rescue those in the water. He navigated a shore covered in oyster shells and marsh mud, which felt like quicksand.

Mr. Hall noted that rescue efforts were hindered by low tide, which exposed sharp oyster beds. He discovered a body about 40 yards downstream from the dock.

Without equipment, people were carried on blankets or on others’ backs. Bodies were collected at the dock.

“There were no occupancy or weight limit signs on the walkway,” Mr. Hall observed. “There should have been better safety measures in place for our guests.”

State Representative Al Williams, who identifies as Gullah Geechee and represented Sapelo until 2005, remarked on the island’s small population, which has dwindled significantly since his childhood visits.

Mr. Williams, 77, recalled being taken to the island by rowboat long before a ferry was available.

Growing up during Jim Crow, he faced discrimination for his dialect—a blend of English, French, and West African languages—dismissed as “uneducated.”

“We’ve come so far in embracing our identity,” he reflected. “These people are proud and strong in their faith.”

Many still struggle to process the tragedy. “I look at it and can’t believe it happened. On little old Sapelo,” said J.R. Grovner, who operates Sapelo Island Tours, a company that uses the dock. “I tell people it’s like heaven here.”

Now, he added, “All we can do is get through this.”

The events of Saturday have overshadowed the joy typically associated with the festival, yet the sense of community remains strong.

Catherine Sneed, 22, from Savannah, Ga., was inspired to attend the festival after working on a college project about the Gullah Geechee community. Following the collapse, she heard a woman scream for help, saying, “I can’t swim!”

Ms. Sneed reached out and held onto the woman for about 15 minutes until a life jacket arrived. On the ferry, she offered her navy blue Wellesley College sweatshirt. On Sunday, she visited the woman in the hospital and found her recovering well; they held hands.

“I just hugged her,” Ms. Sneed said. “I told her I loved her, and we prayed together.”