Billings Gazette, Mont.
(TNS)
Jul. 23—One of the people injured Saturday in the collapse of a crowded deck at the Briarwood Country Club is Mark Zagel of Billings.
On Sunday, he posted a note to friends and family describing the event.
He said as many as 40 people were on the deck when it collapsed and apparently no one was below when it broke loose and fell about 12 feet.
"I'm fine though the ribs on my right side are pretty bruised and I have a couple of bumps," he said.
He said he landed on a woman and had to be lifted off of her.
"And a woman that landed next to me was taken out on a spine board," he said. I was standing in front of tables with a few other people behind them."
He said he appreciated the prayers of family and friends.
"There were many miracles, the best of which was that no one was killed," he said. "...Keep praying for the ones who are facing longer recoveries."
At least 25 people were transported to area hospitals following the collapse of the deck at the golf course south of Billings.
First responders received a "mass casualty" alert at about 7:50 p.m. when the deck on the Bunker Bar and Grill collapsed.
No one was fatally or critically wounded, a Billings Police spokesperson said Sunday. Injuries included head wounds, broken ribs and other injuries.
The golf club was hosting a tournament with 250 people registered.
American Medical Response sent 11 units to the scene. Laurel Emergency Medical Services also responded with two ambulances, the Lockwood Fire District arrived at the scene with one ambulance, and St. Vincent Healthcare's HELP Flight had two ground units respond.
The first ambulance arrived at the scene at 8 p.m., and police shut down the roads leading to Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare to keep access clear.
The most severely injured victims were transported from the scene within the first 30 minutes and the last ambulance left the scene at 8:54 p.m., police said.
Eight patients were treated at the scene and released. An unknown number of people walked away from the scene without requesting medical attention. All patients were adults. Extrication was not needed to free victims from the debris of the collapsed deck.
"So, at this time it is unclear how many people were on the deck when it collapsed," police said.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
The Billings Fire Department had 11 units respond to the incident. The Billings Police Department had 12 units on scene and officers assisted with guiding patients, crowd control and directing traffic. The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office also directed traffic.
" Billings Clinic is fully prepared to help with this unfortunate situation. We have multiple trauma surgeons, ER physicians and the ER team along with critical care staff on site receiving patients. We have received six thus far and are expecting at least three more," Dr. Clint Seger, CEO, Billings Clinic said Saturday night.
St. Vincent's sent a statement Sunday saying their Emergency Department received 29 patients via ambulance or personal vehicle. Most of the patients were treated and released last night. However, three patients have been admitted to St. Vincent for further care, all in good or fair condition.
"Being equipped and ready to respond to a large-scale emergency at a moment's notice is critical to ensuring the Billings community and beyond have access to the medical care they need when they need it most in a trauma situation," the hospital said.
St. Vincent's HELP Flight ground transport team also supported local EMS providers in transporting patients.
"We are especially proud of our emergency department nurses and physicians, trauma surgeons, and additional critical teams who responded to serve the patients. Some came in off-shift to see if they could support in any way," stated Barry McKenzie, MD, a trauma surgeon, and trauma medical director at St. Vincent. "Our teams regularly train for these situations as a hospital and community. We are grateful that our patients and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responders look to us as a trusted partner for their trauma needs."
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