- Crews finished cutting the first of eight sections of the 656-foot Golden Ray on Saturday.
- The ship overturned last year in September.
- Cutting operations began three weeks ago.
Cutting operations hasn’t been super noisy, according to an article published in News4JAX.
What are the residents saying?
“They must have hit something, because what it sounded like was bowling ball going down a metal staircase,” a St. Simons Sound resident said. They heard an increase in the noise level and we looked out and they could tell they were separating the section, he said.
“It’s been really interesting, we have seen a few things, sort of fall out of the lifted section. With the binoculars we can see cars in the lifted section, on all the floors,” the resident said. “The cars are jumbled, some of them are upside down, others you’re looking at the roofs, we can see the red, white and black cars. They are definitely in all sorts of orientations and not in great condition.”
How the organization is working
Twenty-two days after the cutting began, crews lifted the first section into the air and onto a barge. There have been several delays in cutting operations from Tropical Storm Eta and a break in the cutting chain.
The riverkeepers say while patrolling the water and coastline of the sound they have found several pieces of debris from the ship and cars, some of which is oiled.
Vigilant Authorities
Authorities are asking anyone who sees debris from the Golden Ray to report it to the debris reporting hotline, at 912-944-5620.
Authorities are also reminding people not to distract responders, while they focus on the salvaging operation. This includes flying drones, small aircraft and boats close to the barrier.
Officials with Altamaha Riverkeeper say some of the sections of the ship will be brought to Louisiana. Preparations for the second cut are underway.
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Source: News4JAX
