Nine people were injured when a deck collapsed during a family's Memorial Day weekend gathering in coastal Georgia.
Emergency crews rushed to the home in Midway, south of Savannah, and transported the victims to a nearby hospital, Liberty County Fire Chief Brian Darby told local news outlets.
Marc Barnett said his family had rented the home to celebrate his father's 70th birthday. He said 12 or more people were standing on the second-floor deck Sunday evening when it gave way beneath their feet.
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"You had a feeling of freefall," Barnett told WTOC-TV. "We all just landed in a pile on top of each other. It was nightmare scene to see a heap of people laying there helpless."
Family members suffered cuts and fractures, he said, and those injured included a 1-year-old baby and a relative who is 90. Still, Barnett said he's grateful no one was killed or seriously hurt.
"If somebody had been underneath this deck instead of on top of it, we would probably be planning a funeral right now," Barnett said. "So we feel very blessed for that."
