Savannah Light Tower was built in 1964 and was designed to be operated remotely by the personnel at Tybee Lighthouse, just over ten miles away.

On November 27, 1996, the 800-foot-long, Singapore-flagged container Neptune Jade left the port of Savannah, and at 8:30 that evening it ran into the 60-foot light tower, causing it to collapse into the ocean. The ship was ordered to sail to Port Everglades, Florida, where the crew underwent drug and alcohol testing. A container holding seventy fifty-five-gallon drums of paint was lost from the Neptune Jade as a result of the collision. Divers were sent down to inspect the potentially hazardous material, and plans were made to recover the container.

“Early indications are that human error definitely played a large part in this accident taking place,” said Commander Craig Bond of the Coast Guard. “There’s not indication at this time that any equipment malfunctioned in transit.”

A lighted buoy replaced the tower.

No light tower exists at this location today.

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