[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H5123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING JONATHAN ``J.T.'' TENNANT

  (Mr. CARTER of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 20-year 
veteran harbor pilot Jonathan ``J.T.'' Tennant of Brunswick, Georgia, 
who played a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of all crew members 
aboard the Golden Ray carrier when it shipwrecked over a year ago on 
September 8, 2019.
  If you visit St. Simons Island in Georgia's First Congressional 
District, it is hard to miss the Golden Ray, which is a 656-foot-long 
car carrier that remains capsized in the St. Simons Sound.
  As the investigation into the incident by the U.S. Coast Guard and 
the National Transportation Safety Board continues, we have been able 
to gain valuable insight from crew members and others involved.
  Although he had steered a city-block-sized cargo ship from the 
Brunswick River to the St. Simons Sound several thousand times, nothing 
could have prepared J.T. for what happened the morning of September 8.
  The Golden Ray was sailing normally, but the rudder and the propeller 
came up out of the water to where J.T. had no operational control of 
the vessel, and it started capsizing rapidly.
  He endured flames melting the steel and smoke emanating from airboxes 
the entire length of the ship.
  As testament to his extensive experience piloting more than 5,000 
ships in and out of the Port of Brunswick, J.T. drove the Golden Ray as 
far up on the Sound as possible that day to ensure all 23 mariners 
aboard were safe and rescued.
  When you see the giant cargo ship in the Sound and realize there was 
no loss of life, it is nothing short of a miracle and a testament to 
the hardworking crew, including J.T.
  Although it is an unfortunate situation, I am thankful for the 
courage and determination J.T. and the entire crew displayed that day.

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