A federal lawsuit filed in 2022 over the sinking of the Golden Ray cargo ship, which was carrying some $142 million worth of cargo when it capsized off the coast of Georgia, has been settled.
The Marshall Islands-flagged roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier sank on Sept. 8, 2019, after leaving the Port of Brunswick on its way to Baltimore. It was carrying nearly 4,200 vehicles. Local shrimpers, crabbers and business owners sued the owners and operators of the vessel, but the suit was dismissed Monday after those involved agreed to settle.
The details of the settlement weren’t publicly available.
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The National Transportation Safety Board determined that an error by the chief officer led to the capsizing. The Golden Ray was also carrying hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel, according to the 2022 lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. Fires burned for nearly 24 hours after the ship capsized, the now-dismissed lawsuit says.
It took crews more than two years to remove the wreckage, which caused fires and “numerous” oil spills, the lawsuit says. One spill spurred health officials to issue warnings to swimmers and fishers.
The aftermath of the ship’s sinking harmed the environment and the livelihoods of local fishers, the suit claims.