Deck collapses underneath family of 24
A family of 24 was preparing for a Christmas photo when the deck they were standing on suddenly collapsed sending them all crashing to the ground.
Security footage of the incident was released as the family is now suing the makers of the deck, according to WAVE 3 News.
The incident happened on Dec. 22 when the family had gathered for a Christmas party at a clubhouse in southern Indiana.
The video footage shows the family gathering for the photo on the deck near one of the railings, and just before one of the family members is about to snap the picture, the deck collapses.
“Some people called this a freak accident,” family member Jeremy Wilt, whose wife and daughter were on the deck when it collapsed, told WAVE 3 News. “A meteorite hitting your house would be a freak accident. This was going to fall one day.”
Luckily, none of the family members died from the collapse, but WAVE 3 News reported that almost everyone was injured, and three of the family members remain unable to walk more than two months later due to their injuries.
Wilt has started a campaign on his YouTube page to spread awareness for deck safety. Wilt states on the YouTube post, “This video is to raise awareness regarding common building methods to look for when gathering people on a deck. Simple upgrades may prevent another deck collapse tragedy from happening.”
WAVE 3 News reported that the company that built the deck, Schuler Holmes, Inc., says that because the deck was over 10 years old, the law shields them from liability.
