A retired school teacher from Jacksonville, Florida, was one of seven fatalities when a dock gangway collapsed last Saturday during a Cultural Day celebration on Georgia's Sapelo Island. Carlotta McIntosh, 93, was a dedicated special education teacher, with her granddaughter stating, "I wanted people to know she’s vibrant," as reported by WSB-TV.
Atiyya Hassan, McIntosh's granddaughter, shared her thoughts with WSB-TV's Veronica Griffin, saying, “I don’t think the shock has worn down yet, but my grandmother was 93 years old. She lived a very full life.” Other victims of the collapse were from Jacksonville and the Atlanta area, including Isaiah Thomas, 79, Jacqueline Crews Carter, 75, Cynthia Alynn Gibbs, 74, Charles League Houston, 77 from Darien, Queen Welch, 76 from Atlanta, and William Lee Johnson Jr., 73, from the Atlanta area, as per News4JAX.
McIntosh was an active participant in her community, involved with several local organizations such as the Live Long and Like It Club and the Wilder Park Senior Citizens Club. "She was the matriarch of our family and will truly be missed,” Ebony Davis, another granddaughter of McIntosh, told News4JAX.
City Councilman Rahman Johnson, who personally knew both McIntosh and Gibbs, paid tribute to them in a statement to the Latin Times, noting their substantial contributions to the community. "They were strong, resilient women who embodied the very spirit of Jacksonville. Mrs. McIntosh, with her 93 years of wisdom, and Mrs. Gibbs, with her unwavering commitment to our community, were pillars of strength and compassion. Their loss leaves an immeasurable void not only in my heart but in the lives of those who had the honor of knowing them," he said.
