A homecoming celebration at an off-campus residence in Williamsburg, Virginia, turned into an emergency Friday evening when a back deck collapsed, resulting in injuries to at least 28 individuals and triggering a significant response from emergency services.
William & Mary confirmed that some of its students were among those hurt in the incident. City officials reported that all injuries sustained were not life-threatening.
Emergency dispatchers received a report of a structural failure at approximately 10:07 p.m. on the 200 block of Matoaka Court. Upon arrival, police and firefighters discovered that the home's rear deck had given way.
According to an update from the city on Saturday morning, emergency crews transported 13 people to area hospitals. An additional 15 individuals reportedly sought medical attention independently.
Community and Eyewitness Accounts
Residents in the vicinity indicated that a homecoming party was in progress when the collapse occurred. One neighbor, who chose to remain anonymous, described the extensive presence of emergency vehicles in the area.
"All the way down the street and wrapped around just ambulances and fire trucks," the neighbor recounted. "We saw a lot of hospital gurneys coming out of ambulances. At least nine ambulances kind of wrapped around the street."
Joshua Wise, who lives adjacent to the affected property, mentioned that some of his classmates were involved. He returned home after the primary emergency response had concluded but learned that his housemate had been actively assisting people in getting home.
"Word was traveling pretty fast," Wise explained. "By the time I got back here, the emergency response was over, but I had a housemate who was helping people, trying to help out as much as possible, drive people home, get people where they needed to be."
Wise commended the community's swift response and willingness to help each other following the incident.
"We did everything we could to help each other out and I think that that’s beautiful," he stated.
University and Official Response Efforts
In a message distributed to the campus community on Saturday, Ginger Ambler, William & Mary’s senior vice president for student affairs and public safety, stated that the university was still compiling information. She noted the possibility that more students might have sought medical care beyond the initial count.
"We are grateful that none of the injuries were life-threatening," Ambler wrote.
She further detailed that university staff from health, academic, and student support departments were collaborating to provide assistance to affected students.
"We recognize that such an experience may affect our students deeply and in different ways," Ambler added.
Wise also expressed appreciation for the rapid and effective actions of emergency personnel.
"Thank goodness for the emergency responders," he commented. "They were great. The ambulances and everything got here pretty fast."
Local police and fire departments were on the scene, and city officials are collaborating with hospitals to ascertain the total number of individuals who received treatment. The city’s Codes Compliance Division has initiated an evaluation and inspection of the site to investigate the cause of the collapse.
