Shrimpers, tour guides sue over freighter capsize, pollution off Georgia coast

In this Sept. 9, 2019, file photo, a Moran tugboat nears the stern of the capsizing cargo ship Golden Ray as rescuers can be seen near the bottom of the ship near the tug boat, off St. Simons Island, Ga.  (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File)

Fishermen, shrimpers and business owners dependent on coastal tourism have filed lawsuits over pollution caused when a cargo ship capsized off the Georgia coast in 2019.

The two federal lawsuits filed last week in Georgia say the pollutants released by the capsize of the Golden Ray and the harm caused by the subsequent salvage operation have damaged the area’s sensitive marine ecosystem — and the plaintiffs’ livelihoods.

The South Korean-owned Golden Ray capsized with more than 4,200 automobiles in its cargo decks shortly after departing the Port of Brunswick on Sept. 8, 2019. The wreck occurred in the sound between St. Simons and Jekyll Islands. Removal dragged on for more than two years.