After more than a year, removal is set to begin today on the shipwreck at St. Simons Sound in Brunswick.
State officials said the cutting and lifting of the first section of the Golden Ray would begin Friday depending on weather and safety conditions. Cutting the first section is expected to take about 24 hours.
“We expect there will be noise, fires, product discharges, and debris once we begin the cutting and lifting process. It would be unrealistic to say that this operation will be clean and perfect,” said state on-scene coordinator John Maddox of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The Golden Ray ran aground Sept. 8, 2019 just minutes after leaving the Port of Brunswick. After the crew was rescued, salvage workers began crafting a plan to remove the ship and its cargo of more than 4,000 vehicles from the water.
The process included efforts to limit the environmental impacts of the wreck such as creating a barrier around the vessel and draining fuel from the ship. Still, local environmentalists worried about the potential for ongoing issues the longer the ship remained submerged in the water.
Maddox said the agency has installed a “multi-layer environmental protection system” to limit the spread of oil and debris during the removal, and have continued practicing prevention and response strategies for several months, even as the actual cutting was delayed. "We are prepared to protect the community and environment of St. Simons Sound,” Maddox said.
Using a specially designed crane, the salvage team is expected to begin cutting the bow first, officials said late Thursday. Responders will monitor sound levels near the wreck site as well as St. Simons Island Pier and Jekyll Island Pier. Recreational vessels must observe a 200-yard safety zone around the environmental protection barrier.
The entire removal operation is expected to last for eight weeks as the ship is cut into eight sections with each lifted onto a barge and transported to a facility for recycling.
Members of the public can access information, photos and videos on the wreck removal at the St Simons Sound Incident Response website.
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