Several injured in deck collapse at private residence in Harrisonburg

A deck collapse at a private residence in Harrisonburg on Monday resulted in multiple injuries, though fortunately, none are considered life-threatening.

City officials are saying today that five people were transported to Sentara RMH, and it is expected that several others left the scene prior to the arrival of emergency medical services personnel and sought treatment on their own.

The scene, in the 300 block of Old South High Street, was treated as a mass-casualty incident by EMS, with crews responding from the city fire department and rescue squad, and additional units coming in from JMU, Rockingham County and Augusta County.

All patients who remained at the scene were identified, triaged and transported in under 30 minutes, according to a press release from the city distributed on Tuesday.

“We are extremely relieved that there were no serious injuries at this incident,” Harrisonburg Fire Chief Matthew Tobia said. “At the moment of collapse, the deck was unable to sustain the weight that was on it. Any time you are hosting a large amount of people in your home, or having guests on your deck, or placing people in or on any load-bearing structure, you need to be aware of the potential dangers of failure. Overcrowding areas should be avoided, and if individuals feel that they may be unsafe, they should leave.”