William Johnson Jr., his wife Zelda and her cousin Queen Welch went to Georgia’s Sapelo Island this past weekend for their annual trip together, eager to explore the Gullah Geechee cultural celebration.
Since the Johnsons had recently become empty nesters, they had been traveling more, said Alaina Johnson, their daughter. Welch, meanwhile, was always looking for her next adventure, and she had made the plans for the trio to make the trip from metro Atlanta to take part in the celebration that honors the island’s community, who are descendants of Black slaves.
“They had a beautiful time together that day at the island,” said Melissa Madden, who is cousins with Zelda Johnson and Welch. “(Welch) just loved history and culture, and she wanted to be a part of that event.”
But as they were leaving, their vacation quickly turned tragic: They fell into the water, along with 20 other people, when the gangway at the Marsh Landing Dock collapsed Saturday afternoon. Seven people died, and three others were critically injured.
In the chaos, Zelda managed to swim to shore. Her husband and cousin did not survive.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
“When she turned around, she thought my dad was fine, and she was able to focus on the shore and swim back to where she could stand up and get out of the water,” Alaina Johnson said. “He wasn’t behind her when she got out.”
Those killed and injured were preparing to board a ferry back to the mainland on Georgia’s coast when the gangway collapsed due to a “catastrophic failure” that caused it to buckle in the center, according to officials.
In addition to Johnson, 73, and Welch, 76, five other seniors died: Charles L. Houston, 77, of Darien; and Jacqueline Crews Carter, 75; Cynthia Gibbs, 74; Carlotta McIntosh, 93; and Isaiah Thomas, 79, all from Jacksonville.
William was the epitome of a strong leader, his daughter said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He might have been a strict father when she and her older brother were growing up, but his tough love was what they needed, she said.
When she walked into his home office, she saw his thousands of books, his four degrees framed on the wall and a host of other memorialized accomplishments. The Air Force veteran, who worked at Lockheed Martin until his retirement, also served as a deacon at Word of Faith Family Cathedral in Austell.
Anytime she and her father went to Atlanta together when she was young, Alaina would beg him to take her to The Varsity — and he would oblige. His order always included a frosted orange, she said.
“It was something I always looked forward to,” she said. “He would always say yes, even though he knew we had food at the house. But it was our guilty pleasure.”
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
Welch, who Alaina called auntie, was the oldest of the family’s cousins. Without children of her own, she became a mother figure as the family matriarch, Madden said.
Welch lived in Chicago until moving to Atlanta about 20 years ago to be closer to family, Madden said. She was always well-dressed, classy, and eager to share about her travels. As a teenager, Madden visited Welch in Chicago, and the two would explore the city together.
“She was the fun cousin to go and visit in the big city,” Madden said.
Houston, a 77-year-old chaplain, had dedicated his life to comforting those who were often experiencing their worst days. He was known to his community as someone always willing to offer support.
He was a chaplain for the Georgia Department of Public Safety and provided spiritual guidance to cadets in training. He had served as a pastor in multiple cities, where he also worked with the local police departments.
Lori Durham met Houston in 2012 when her son died in a fire. While she waited for the coroner to identify the body, Houston brought her family food and prayed with them, she said.
“We met him through tragedy, and he helped us in a way that no one else could have,” she said.
The Durhams were supposed to meet the Houstons for lunch after church Sunday. Instead, they mourned.
The Department of Natural Resources, the McIntosh County Fire Department, the McIntosh Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for survivors using sonar, boats and helicopters. Locals also rushed to help as the current pulled people out away from land.
State authorities are investigating the collapse. The cause of death for all of the victims is under investigation pending autopsies that will be done later this week, county Coroner Melvin Amerson confirmed.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
For Alaina Johnson, she plans to graduate from Kennesaw State University next spring. It’s one of many life events the 23-year-old will now experience without her father.
“I wanted him to be able to walk me down the aisle one day (at her wedding), and for him to see me walk across the stage, and for him to have the opportunity to meet his grandkids one day,” she said. “I’m still in shock, to believe that he’s gone, because it feels like we’re in a movie. It doesn’t feel real, what happened.
“I almost lost both of my parents at the same time.”
— Staff writer Ashley Ahn contributed to this article.
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