Crews prepare to lift section of Golden Ray shipwreck onto dry-dock

Responders completed cutting operations on the remainder of the Golden Ray wreck on Saturday.

Wreck removal personnel separated the remainder of the Golden Ray wreck into two sections on Saturday and they are preparing to lift and stow Section Five onto a dry-dock barge.

Once the Section Five is removed, response engineers will prepare Section Four, the final remaining section, to be lifted and stowed onto the Barge JULIE B which left the Port of Mobile en route to Brunswick. on Thursday. A dry-dock barge remains on-site as a contingency plan for stowing Section Four.

For those unfamiliar with the saga of The Golden Ray, it is a cargo ship that capsized off the coast of Georgia in 2019, and has been occupying space in the St. Simons Sound since then. In May a fire broke out on the vessel and was extinguished.

Pollution response teams remain on-station to monitor for any oil or debris present around the perimeter of the Environmental Protection Barrier. Shoreline survey teams continue routine assessments of Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island and marsh areas in the vicinity of the wreck site.

The 150-yard safety zone around the barrier is increased to 200 yards for any non-response vessel not transiting inside the shipping channel. The Unified Command advises mariners to please steer clear of the perimeter to ensure the safety of our responders and the public.

Any unauthorized usage of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles around the wreck site and near response facilities is discouraged due to safety. Drones are distractions that can lead to near misses, mishaps and injuries. Responders will report any sightings of drones and drone operators to local authorities.

The Unified Command developed a multi-layer approach for observing, surveying, documenting and mitigating any releases of oil or debris during cutting and lifting operations. Recovery personnel are on-station at the Environmental Protection Barrier, at the shoreline and on the water around the Golden Ray shipwreck. Responders are maintaining protective boom at sensitive locations around St. Simons Sound.

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