# Deck Collapse During Family Photo Injures 24 in North Carolina



## mark handler (Jul 5, 2015)

JUL 5 2015

Emerald Isle Police: Deck Collapse During Family Photo Injures 24 in North Carolina

by PHIL HELSEL and ELISHA FIELDSTAD

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fourteen-hurt-when-deck-collapses-during-family-photo-north-carolina-n386836

A deck collapsed at a North Carolina beach house as family members gathered for a group photo, officials said, leaving at least 24 injured including some in critical condition from a 10-foot fall.

Emerald Isle Police said officers responded at around 7 p.m. to reports of the collapse and multiple injuries, which ranged from cuts to possible "spinal issues," said Town Manager Frank Rush.

"The family was on the deck preparing to take a family photo when the event occurred," said a statement from the vacation town's police department. "Due to the number of casualties involved, neighboring agencies were called in to assist in transporting and dealing with the victims," the statement said.

Rush said the family gathered on a third of the deck for the picture during what was supposed to be their last night of a family reunion vacation, and the victims ranged from age 5 to 94.

Officials said that at least two people were in critical condition as of Sunday morning. All but five of the victims had been treated and released from various hospitals by Sunday afternoon, Rush said during a Sunday afternoon news conference.

Most of the injured were from northern Virginia, Rush said.

He said preliminary findings show the deck collapsed because of deteriorated nails, but the structure, built in the 1980s, would have met current building requirements. "We're in a harsh natural environment here," he said.

Emerald Isle Fire Chief Bill Walker said the deck overlooking the ocean was attached to a home raised on pilings, and estimated the victims' fall to be between 10 to 12 feet.

"It's been about 10 years since we've had one of these so it's not an everyday occurrence," Walker told The Associated Press.

Alma Arnold, who was renting the home next door, said the aftermath of the collapse was horrific. She got back from the beach shortly after it happened and saw "a whole bunch of people just on the ground laying on top of the planks from the deck — and you could tell two of them were majorly hurt."

"It was tragic. It was truly, truly, truly sad to watch. There were kids lined up on the grass watching their parents and grandparents," Arnold said, adding that she tried to help, but "I was crying myself."

The cause of the collapse is not known, police said. Emerald Isle is a town located on a barrier island up the coast from the Marine Corps training facility Camp Lejeune.

The house is owned by a North Carolina family and rented out by Bluewater Vacation Rentals and Real Estate. Woody Warren, a co-owner, said the company's "thoughts and prayers" are with the family. "We are asking everyone in this community for their prayers and support," he said. He did not comment on when the deck had last been inspected.

Rush said town officials are not permitted to conduct or require inspections on vacation homes.


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## mark handler (Jul 5, 2015)

Inspectors Investigating Deck Collapse at North Carolina Beach House That Injured Up to 24

Jul 5, 2015, 5:21 PM ET

By DEAN SCHABNER and PHILLIP MENA

http://abcnews.go.com/US/inspectors-investigating-deck-collapse-north-carolina-beach-house/story?id=32227953







Police and building inspectors are investigating what may have caused a deck to collapse at an Emerald Isle, North Carolina, beach house, injuring up to 24 people.

Preliminary findings reveal the floor joists and fasteners failed to hold the deck together, Emerald Island Town Manager Frank Rush said today. The fasteners may have deteriorated over time, Rush said.

The house was built in the 1980s, Rush said, adding that if the structure was built today, it would be constructed in a similar manor.

According to Emerald Isle officials, members of a family -- ranging in ages from 5 to 94 -- were on a deck overlooking the ocean preparing to take a family photo shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday when the structure collapsed. Rush said Saturday was to be the last night of the family's trip.

Emerald Isle Fire Chief Bill Walker said the deck itself gave way and collapsed inward, while the pilings holding up the deck remained upright.

The deck was about 14 feet off the ground, officials said today.

First responders from Emerald Isle arrived on scene within minutes and began treating and triaging patients, police said.

Due to the number of casualties involved, neighboring agencies were called in to assist in transporting and dealing with the victims. Indian Beach, Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores and Western Carteret all sent Fire and EMS units to assist, while Broad and Gales Creek Fire Departments were also dispatched to provided assistance. Morehead City EMS provided a mass casualty bus to treat and transport victims.

Officials today said up to 24 people were injured, including one child.

Injuries varied from people with several broken bones to those with minor scratches and cuts, according to Walker.

At least five people remained in hospitals today, officials said, including two people in critical condition.

Police have vacated the home, Rush said. No one will occupy the home until the incident is resolved, Rush added.

Woody Warren, an owner/broker from Bluewater Vacation Rentals, the group that rents the house, called it a "horrible accident" in a statement via email to ABC News.

Warren said the company's "thoughts and prayers" are with the family.

"We are asking everyone in this community for their prayers and support," the statement added.


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## mark handler (Jul 5, 2015)

ABC News Screen Shots
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







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## steveray (Jul 6, 2015)

Can't tell if that is a ledger strip or just some kind of trim.....Salt air is a killer for fasteners other than stainless...


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## cda (Jul 6, 2015)

Let's see

24 X 150 = 3600

Or one and a half tons.

Or a third of an elephant


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## mark handler (Jul 6, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> Let's see24 X 150 = 3600
> 
> Or one and a half tons.
> 
> Or a third of an elephant


 150/person?

Aren't you optimistic

http://halls.md/average-weight-women/

http://halls.md/average-weight-men/


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## cda (Jul 6, 2015)

Did not want to call them " well feed"


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## mark handler (Jul 6, 2015)

TH decks, balconies, inspected only at construction

JSwaner

By Jon Swaner

Published: July 6, 2015, 6:52 pm

http://wthitv.com/2015/07/06/th-decks-balconies-inspected-only-at-construction/

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) – Over the weekend, a deck collapsed in North Carolina injuring two dozen people.  That’s on the heels of a deck collapse in Berkley, California that killed 6.  We wanted to know what safety measures are taken to ensure that doesn’t happen here in Terre Haute?

It’s a structural engineer’s worst fear, seeing a structure collapse, rendering many people helpless to this dangerous fall.  That’s according to City Engineer Chuck Ennis.  “But as a local building official, it’s really out of our hands.”

Yes, the city is involved from the onset of any construction project.  Contractors buy building permits, and their projects must pass a city building inspection. All things must be built to the international building code, which the city and state adopted.

“The long-term maintenance, upkeep of these decks and balconies, that falls on the homeowners,” Ennis said.

In Berkeley, moisture rotted the floor joists.  In North Carolina, the deck’s nails had corroded. In both instances, too many people in a place not intended to hold that much weight contributed to the collapses.

Said Ennis, “These decks don’t see these kinds of loads very frequently, and then all of the sudden there will be an event…”

By then, it’s learning the hard way that a problem exists, a problem that can be deadly.

Ennis says any deck or balcony constructed for public gatherings must be built to withstand 100 pounds per square foot.  He also said nothing lasts forever, which is why owners need to be diligent about maintaining these structures.


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## Builder Bob (Jul 7, 2015)

Appears to be ledger strip with galvanized nails ----


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## Phil (Jul 8, 2015)

The Town of Emerald Isle has released a report on the deck collapse. The release includes reports from the police, fire and building department.

http://www.emeraldisle-nc.org/pdfs/PressRelease07072015-DeckCollapseFinalReport.pdf


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## JBI (Jul 9, 2015)

(City Engineer Chuck Ennis says any deck or balcony constructed for public gatherings must be built to withstand 100 pounds per square foot.)

But this residential deck was not 'constructed for public gatherings' and should have easily carried the load of 24 people (especially with ages ranging from 5 years old!).

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.


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## Mark K (Jul 9, 2015)

Anybody who assumes that using a higher live load will solve the problem is either ignorant or deluding themselves.


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## mark handler (Jul 9, 2015)

Mark K said:
			
		

> Anybody who assumes that using a higher live load will solve the problem is either ignorant or deluding themselves.


Won't solve it but it is a start


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## Frank (Jul 9, 2015)

Corroded fasters can be difficult to detect without disassembly.

While arriving for a change of use inspection at an old house I had a porch joist drop when I stepped on two boards that ended on the joist.  My leg went through the hole but no injuries.

Upon investigation the joist had been end nailed to the band and the nails had corroded away allowing it to fall when my weight was just on that one joist--there was no visible signs of damage before it fell, nor after except for the rusted out nails exposed by the failure.

And yes the unsafe signs and caution tape came out, with instructions to put joist hangers on all the joists.

The porch appeared to be sound, was well painted, no obvious signs of rot or corrosion.


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## MASSDRIVER (Jul 11, 2015)

mark handler said:
			
		

> Won't solve it but it is a start


Start of what?

I say it's the same old thing; Problem surfaces, some sort of public outcry dlp****tery takes place, officials "do something", because "something must be done", the real solution is avoided at all costs, fake, hamfisted, troglodyte "fix" of overbuilding something that categorically needs no overbuilding gets mandated for no good reason, prices get driven up further, public servant college graduate with a C average in anthropology gets peer accolades and a nice engraved acrylic award fashioned into a short pyramid set in a walnut base acknowledging his hard work and ingenuity.

Jeebus. Not skookum. Not skookum at all.

How about rather than than just "AArgh, make big and strong, be betterer!", we first determine what the problem is, then tackle that actual problem using our large human brains.

I wonder if there any good civil engineers out there still?

Brent.


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## steveray (Jul 13, 2015)

Brent...the problem is people don't maintain their crap.....It cannot be fixed (Until walmarx starts selling houses that you throw away every 5 years)....It is what keeps us all busy and the "economy" rolling.The only question is how strong to build them to decrease the frequency to something that is acceptable to the beancounters...


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