A senior minister has been identified as one of the seven people killed Saturday afternoon when a ferry pier collapsed on Georgia’s Sapelo island.

Dr. Charles Houston, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) chaplain, fell into the water along with at least 20 others when the aluminum gangway collapsed around 4:30 p.m

According to his website, Houston had been with the DNR since 2008 and was an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church for 40 years, said his wife, Elizabeth Houston.

“He was a fine and good man,” Elizabeth Houston told the New York Post. “This is such a difficult thing. I can barely speak, I can’t even think right now.”

Houston began his ministry in 1976 when he was pastor of Plains UMC and joined the city’s volunteer fire department.

While attending the Coastal Georgia Police Academy, he completed the Fundamentals of Law Enforcement course before becoming a pastor for several churches, where he served as chaplain for each local police department.

He became a certified chaplain with the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council in 1995, was a member of the International Conference of Police Chaplains and a member of the Executive Committee of the Governor’s Homeland Security Chaplains for the State of Georgia.

In addition to his pastoral work at the DNR, Houston has served as chief chaplain for the Georgia Department of Public Safety since 1997.

On Saturday, Houston was remembered as a longtime helping hand to those he knew and helped after natural disasters.

“He was such a dedicated pastor and chaplain and was loved by those he served, both in the church and in law enforcement. Please keep his family and these organizations in your prayers,” Pastor Mike Davis said of his colleague and mentor.

One Facebook user recalled a recent meeting in Houston in which the longtime pastor met the family for coffee after their home was flooded, prayed with them and handed out gift cards to help “in their grief.”

“I am sad and angry and I am so grateful for Charles and his life of service. I am grateful for the countless family memories of him. “I’m grateful to have been able to see and talk to him recently,” added Gail Gladin Rogers.

At least 20 people were standing at the dock where passengers boarded the ferry and fell into the water when the gangway collapsed, including eight who were hospitalized, six with life-threatening injuries, said Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the Georgia DNR.

Rescue crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, McIntosh County Fire Department and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources continue to search the water, officials said Saturday.

While it remains unclear why the dock collapsed, Jones said there was no collision with a boat or anything else.

“The thing just collapsed. We don’t know why,” he told AP News, adding that a team of engineers and construction specialists is expected to be on site early Sunday morning to investigate why the walkway failed.

According to ABC News, the deadly incident occurred as crowds gathered on the island to celebrate the tiny Gullah-Geechee community of black slave descendants for Cultural Day.