SANDBRIDGE – Five people were hurt on Thursday, July 9, when a deck collapsed at a beachfront vacation home in this residential resort community.
An emergency call about a deck collapse on the 3600 block of Sandfiddler Road came in at about 6:50 p.m.
City fire, police and emergency medical services personnel responded with the assistance of dispatchers, and a lifeguard supervisor was the first at the scene.
Two people had serious injuries from the collapse, but none of the injuries suffered in the incident were life threatening, said Division Chief Bruce Nedelka, a spokesperson for the Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services Department.
One of the people who was hurt declined to be transported to the hospital, he said.
Speaking at the scene, Nedelka said reports about the deck collapse involved multiple people who were on the deck and people who were below it.
Rescue officials urged people to be careful on decks and make sure they understand their capacities, such as by checking with rental companies.
“Inspect your decks,” EMS Division Chief Kevin Lipscomb said.
“And know the limits,” Nedelka added.
Aaron Brese, a Buffalo, N.Y., resident vacationing in Sandbridge with family, said he heard a noise from a nearby rental home.
“We heard something,” he said. “With the wind, it sounded like the equivalent of a board flying into a house.”
Soon after, they heard first responders arrive.
A number of people stood on the decks of nearby vacation homes and watched rescue officials help people involved in the collapse.
The home where the deck collapse happened is listed online at 6,652 square feet with nine bedrooms, and it is billed as one of the largest oceanfront homes in Sandbridge.
WAVY-TV’s Brett Hall reported that people staying in the house are from Pittsburgh, Pa.
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