Shipping

The Georgia Ports Authority is accelerating a $150 million expansion at the Port of Savannah amid surging cargo volumes that have kept ships waiting at sea. The state agency's board approved plans Monday to boost port capacity for cargo containers by 25% within six months. Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch said more than a third of that new space should be available by January to help alleviate backlogs.

When the giant cargo ship began to tip over off the Georgia coast, harbor pilot Jonathan Tennant found himself on his side, screaming orders in the darkness while flying debris that felt like gravel pelted him. After much of the Golden Ray slipped into the sea, crew members feared they would perish if they stayed on the ship — but they also could die if they attempted perilous climbs and dangerous leaps to reach the ocean. Their accounts are contained in interviews included among more than 1,700 pages of documents made public Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board.