SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Using a heavy anchor chain like a saw, a towering crane Friday began cutting apart a cargo ship that’s been stranded on the Georgia coast since it overturned nearly 14 months ago.
Demolition of the South Korean ship Golden Ray finally started after months of planning and setbacks. Officials warned that removing the partially submerged shipwreck off St. Simons Island will be loud and messy. It’s expected to take roughly two months to complete.
“We expect there will be noise, fires, product discharges, and debris once we begin the cutting and lifting process,” John Maddox of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said in a statement from the multiagency command overseeing the ship’s removal. “It would be unrealistic to say that this operation will be clean and perfect.”
The Golden Ray capsized Sept. 8, 2019, shortly after leaving the Port of Brunswick about 70 miles (200 kilometers) south of Savannah. More than 4,200 vehicles remain in the ship’s cargo decks.
The salvage team plans to cut the ship into eight massive chunks. Each segment will be hoisted by a crane and then lowered onto a barge for transport to a salvage yard on the Gulf Coast.