ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Multiple people were injured Sunday after a two-story deck at an oceanfront St. Johns County home collapsed.
St. Johns County Fire Rescue responded to the incident at South Ponte Vedra Boulevard around 12:30 p.m.
Chris Naff, SJFR public information officer, told News4JAX that there were 13 people on the deck when it collapsed, but five people declined medical treatment.
“I think it could have been a lot worse,” Naff said.
No one was trapped in the debris, but fire crews took eight patients to the hospital; two were admitted into the trauma center.
Everyone was in stable condition, according to SJFR.
At this time, it’s unclear what caused the collapse.
“I do know that you put a lot of weight sometimes on decks, especially since this was an oceanfront house,” Naff said.
Naff explained how yearly inspections can help avoid situations like this.
“There’s things to look at,” he said. “You can get them inspected yearly. And then do a self-inspection on these on decks. Make sure they’re not pulling away from the wall. Make sure there’s no rusted connections. The wood’s still in good shape and not rotting. We’re all these good, important things to look.”