Capsized cargo ship Golden Ray catches fire in the St. Simons Sound

May 15, 2021

St. Simons Sound, Ga. — Crews were successful in suppressing the fire and engineers have begun to assess the damage which can take up to several days.

What we know right now, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources:

• Teams had to work overnight to cool the site.
• Engineers were able to get onto the ship Saturday morning after it had been brought to temperature.
• Fire damage assessments will be ongoing over the next several days.
• The fire did not impact the shoreline.
• They have been testing water and air for hazardous material/waste/pollutants.
• Air quality around the larger area, into surrounding neighborhoods/communities are safe.
• No hazardous compounds have been found in the water at this time.

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May 14, 2021

A massive cargo ship that capsized in the St. Simons Sound in 2019 has caught fire.

In a video shared with Action News Jax Friday, dark plumes of smoke can be seen billowing from what remains of the ship.

In a Facebook post, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said they are aware of the fire at the wreck site and all personnel have been evacuated.

In a live news conference US Coast Guard Commander Efren Lopez says once the fire is out they will have to determine the integrity of the ship. They are still unsure how the fire will impact the removal timeline of the ship.

Lopez said the Coast Guard will continue to monitor air quality on the wreck site & shoreline, but have not seen anything of concern at this time.

About the Golden Ray

The 656 foot long vessel flipped on its side off St. Simons Island, Ga. in the early morning hours of September 8, 2019, with 4,200 vehicles in its cargo decks.

The first cut into the Golden Ray was last November. At that time, St. Simons Sound Incident Response said it planned to have the ship removed in about eight weeks, which would have been around the New Year. As of mid-March crews weren’t halfway done.

Neighbors on St. Simons Island say they’re ready to see it go. And the longer the ship sits in the river, conservationists worry about the impacts to water and wildlife.

September 8, 2019

The Coast Guard was able to drill a hole through the hull of the ship and use a borescope to see the missing crew members, according to the USCG.

September 9, 2019

Four crew members were still unaccounted as rescue efforts stretched into its second day. Three of the four trapped crew members were rescued around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, September 9, 2019. The fourth survivor was stuck behind glass in an engineering control room and was rescued later that evening.

September 10, 2019

A Texas-based salvage company was hired to remove the Golden Ray. In a video is a 3D-rendered animation that outlines the recovery and salvage procedure of Golden Ray cargo ship.

Cox Media Group