Nearly 70 Fall as Floor Collapses During Wedding in Tamworth, NH, Venue
Flint McColgan
Boston Herald
(TNS)
Six adults were rushed to area hospitals after a floor holding a wedding party of nearly 150 people collapsed at a venue in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Fire and rescue personnel were dispatched to The Preserve at Chocorua in Tamworth, New Hampshire, at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Callers reported that the venue floor had collapsed into the basement and multiple people were trapped under beams and farming equipment at the venue.
“In a building known as the Sap House there was a partial floor collapse just at the start of the ceremony,” NH Fire Marshal Sean Toomey told NH television news outlet WMUR from the scene.
He added that it was a wedding ceremony and the bride and groom had just entered the building followed by portions of their wedding party when the floor gave way and around 70 people fell through.
Arriving firefighters found that venue staff already provided first aid to some injured guests and used ladders to help others who had fallen through the collapsed floor, according to the New Hampshire Office of the State Fire Marshal. Authorities say that six adults were transported to hospitals, with Toomey adding that one was flown by medical helicopter to Maine Medical Center. Four had since been released.
“Investigators with the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office have responded to the scene and are leading the investigation into the incident,” a release from that office states.
The initial theory in the investigation is that the venue building, which was identified as the Sap House, was over capacity. The Fire Marshal’s office says that 144 people were in the venue and about half of them fell through an approximately 20-foot square opening caused by the collapse.
The Preserve at Chocorua describes itself as “a beautiful estate nestled in the historic town of Tamworth, New Hampshire, perfect for leisurely retreats and memorable celebrations. A place for intimate wedding ceremonies, engaging community events, and most importantly a place that feels like ‘home’ when you arrive.”
The venue’s website says it comprises 26 acres of “untouched natural beauty” that includes four distinct event spaces and six guest facilities that can sleep 60.
The venue describes the Sap House as “A quintessential New England Maple Sugar shack with endless uses. Host an intimate ceremony, stage with stately furniture for a lounge feel, or host an indoor/outdoor cocktail hour. Custom uses for your event are endless.”
That event space listing does not mention a maximum number of guests, but is written in a way that suggests it is smaller than “The Barn,” which can accommodate more than 225 guests and boasts a dance floor. The remaining event spaces are the open-air “Ice Pavilion” built on the foundation of the old “ice house,” and another open-air space called the “Sperry Sailcloth Tent.”
Anyone with any information that can help the Fire Marshal investigation is asked to call the office at (603) 223-4289 or email [email protected].
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