Anchor chain slices through sunken cargo ship to reveal 4,200 Hyundai cars inside

A huge cargo ship carrying 4,200 cars has been split open with an anchor chain, more than a year after it capsized and was left stranded on the Georgia coast.

The 600ft South Korean ship Golden Ray is finally being demolished after months of setbacks, with the dismantling revealing the many cars stacked inside.

It capsized in September 2019, shortly after leaving the Port of Brunswick about 70 miles south of Savannah. 

The bow section of the vehicle carrier Golden Ray, with some of the the 4,000 cars still onboard, waits to be towed to a scrap yard

The South Korean ship Golden Ray is finally being demolished after months of setbacks, with the dismantling revealing the many cars stacked inside

The South Korean ship Golden Ray is finally being demolished after months of setbacks, with the dismantling revealing the many cars stacked inside

More than 4,200 vehicles remain in the ship's cargo decks and now officials are finally starting the process to remove it

More than 4,200 vehicles remain in the ship’s cargo decks and now officials are finally starting the process to remove it

More than 4,200 vehicles remain in the ship’s cargo decks and now officials are finally starting the process to remove it.

A 400-foot anchor chain is being used to cut sections, exposing the many Hyundai cars trapped inside the ship. 

A giant floating crane, the VB-10000 lifted the first section of the wreck as the barge JULIE B came to receive it. 

The wreck will be removed in a total of eight sections and this is the first major milestone in its dismantling.

A 400-foot anchor chain is being used to cut sections, exposing the many Hyundai cars trapped inside the ship

A 400-foot anchor chain is being used to cut sections, exposing the many Hyundai cars trapped inside the ship

The wreck will be removed in a total of eight sections and this is the first major milestone in its dismantling

The wreck will be removed in a total of eight sections and this is the first major milestone in its dismantling

The bottom half of the bow section of the Golden Ray is covered with marine life after spending 14 months stranded in the sea

The bottom half of the bow section of the Golden Ray is covered with marine life after spending 14 months stranded in the sea

Each segment will be hoisted by a crane and then lowered onto a barge for transport to a salvage yard on the Gulf Coast.

The cutting and lifting are being handled by the VB 10,000, which resembles a giant archway of steel girders anchored to a pair of barges. 

It is the largest such crane sailing under a US flag, capable of lifting loads of up to 7,500 tons. 

While straddling the shipwreck, the crane is using chains to cut through the vessel. 

The cutting and lifting are being handled by the VB 10,000, which resembles a giant archway of steel girders anchored to a pair of barges

The cutting and lifting are being handled by the VB 10,000, which resembles a giant archway of steel girders anchored to a pair of barges

The salvage team expects each cut will take a full day, with a week needed to cut, lift and remove each giant segment

The salvage team expects each cut will take a full day, with a week needed to cut, lift and remove each giant segment

A 400-foot anchor chain is being used to cut sections, exposing the many Hyundai cars trapped inside the ship

A 400-foot anchor chain is being used to cut sections, exposing the many Hyundai cars trapped inside the ship

An expert concluded the Golden Ray (pictured before) tipped over because unstable loading had left its center of gravity too high

An expert concluded the Golden Ray (pictured before) tipped over because unstable loading had left its center of gravity too high

The salvage team expects each cut will take a full day, with a week needed to cut, lift and remove each giant segment. 

‘Frankly, it’s very slow,’ said Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Himes, a spokesman for the command team. ‘The chain itself is moving about 7 to 8 feet per minute.’

Himes said noise had been minimal because the chain was cutting below the water level, working its way upward.

The command has booked an entire resort nearby through January 21 to isolate 100 salvage workers as a safeguard against the virus

The command has booked an entire resort nearby through January 21 to isolate 100 salvage workers as a safeguard against the virus

Golden Ray, has been sitting in St. Simons Sound for over a year. A model shows the impressive way it is being dismantled

Golden Ray, has been sitting in St. Simons Sound for over a year. A model shows the impressive way it is being dismantled

Crews erected a mesh barrier around the Golden Ray to contain any leaking pollutants and falling debris – including cars that were among its cargo – during the cutting. 

That will be cleaned up once the rest of the dismantled ship gets removed.

The ship’s demolition was delayed by a busy Atlantic hurricane season, a handful of coronavirus infections among members of the salvage team and an engineering problem dealing with how to anchor the crane.

Crews erected a mesh barrier around the Golden Ray to contain any leaking pollutants and falling debris

Crews erected a mesh barrier around the Golden Ray to contain any leaking pollutants and falling debris

The ship's demolition was delayed by a busy Atlantic hurricane season, a handful of coronavirus infections among members of the salvage team and an engineering problem

The ship’s demolition was delayed by a busy Atlantic hurricane season, a handful of coronavirus infections among members of the salvage team and an engineering problem

The command has booked an entire resort nearby through January 21 to isolate 100 salvage workers as a safeguard against the virus.

The Coast Guard held hearings on the cause of the shipwreck earlier this year. 

An expert concluded the Golden Ray tipped over because unstable loading had left its center of gravity too high. 

Coast Guard Lt. Ian Oviatt said the ship lacked enough water in its ballast tanks, used to add weight at the bottom of a vessel, to offset that of the vehicles in its cargo decks above.