Beach goers are advised not to swim or wade in the ocean on St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island until more is known about the environmental impact of a cargo ship capsizing in the St. Simons Sound.
A commercial freight vessel carrying 4,200 vehicles capsized early Sunday morning, and as of Sunday afternoon the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit out of Savannah was working to rescue four crewmembers.
The Coastal Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will conduct water quality sampling to ensure the safety of shellfish harvesting beds and swimming beaches. The Coastal Health District is issuing a precautionary swimming advisory until that testing can be done.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division, a branch of DNR, has also been notified of the capsizing and is monitoring the situation.
For updates, visit CoastalGaDNR.org and follow CRD on Facebook by searching “Coastal Resources Division – Georgia DNR”.
Media with questions concerning water-quality testing for beaches and shellfish beds may contact Tyler Jones, CRD communications specialist, at tyler.jones@dnr.ga.gov or 912-230-9709.