Wedding Party Falls In Balcony Collapse - 5 Hospitalized After Balcony Collapses - WJXT-TV
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. - A balcony collapse in Fernandina Beach left a several members of a wedding party hurt Thursday night.
Emergency workers rushed to a house in the 900 block of South Fletcher Avenue where firefighters said between 15 and 20 people were standing on a balcony when it gave way.
Neighbors who heard the balcony give way said they heard a crack, a series of popping noises, and then screams for help. They called 911 and reported, "several people with head injuries."
"It rocked to one side and broke away from the boards itself," said Deputy Chief Sam Young.
The house was being rented out for the wedding, and partygoers told authorities they walked out onto the deck to see a rainbow.
They had no warning for what was about to happen.
The 10-to 15-foot fall sent five people to an area hospital with broken bones, fractures and bruises.
The city building inspector checked out the ruins. He said the balcony had been built in 1993.
The cause of the collapse remains unknown; however, the inspector said it could have been lack of maintenance, a design flaw or too many people on the deck. His recommendation was to have it inspected by a licensed structural engineer.
The housing department told Channel 4 the best way homeowners can protect themselves from a similar incident is to keep up on maintenance and re-enforce the beams underneath a balcony. |
