Dozens injured in deck collapse

At least 50 people were injured, some critically, late Saturday afternoon when a second-story deck collapsed at the Glacier Presbyterian Camp outside Lakeside during a memorial service.

According to witness Leslie Dillon, around 50 people were gathered on the deck overlooking Flathead Lake following the service when the structure broke and fell.

Dillon said she was on the deck when it collapsed and that she walked away with some bruising, but many of her friends and relatives were taken away in ambulances.

According to a press release from Kalispell Regional Healthcare, a significant number of patients sustained orthopedic and neurological injuries that required immediate surgery.

As of Monday morning two patients remained in critical condition, according to the statement.

Medical personnel from Kalispell, Evergreen, Polson, Mission, Somers, Ronan, Lakeside and Smith Valley rushed adults and children from the scene in various conditions. The most critically injured were airlifted from the scene by ALERT and Life Flight helicopters.

Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said in a press release that crews came together to work as a team and responded in a “professional manner with compassion.” He declined in an interview Saturday night to speculate as to what caused the collapse.

According to Glacier Presbyterian Camp’s website, the building where the incident occurred was constructed in 2004 and featured over 10,000 square feet of wraparound deck space.

Jake Troyer, spokesman with the Montana Building Code Bureau said in an email that no records exist for any projects built on the property in 2004, nor do documents indicate there were any additions made during the past seven years. He said the bureau does not keep records for longer than seven years in accordance with state retention policies.

Once a building is completed, Troyer added, the state Fire Marshal’s Office assumes jurisdiction.

Dawn Drollinger, deputy state fire marshal for the region surrounding Lake County, said she did not know the last time a building inspection took place at Glacier Camp. As a private operation, she said there are no laws requiring the camp to undergo regular examinations.

Drollinger said that unless otherwise indicated, inspectors assume that an existing building was constructed to code, however new additions such as decks or porches occasionally go unreported.

“Things do slip through the cracks, and when bad things happen they get brought to light,” she said.

Drollinger added that even a code compliant structure can fail if damaged by harsh weather or excess weight.

Lakeside/Somers Fire Chief Tom Havens said the incident was under investigation as of Saturday evening.

The crowd was gathered to remember William Nickel, 60, a longtime Flathead Valley firefighter who died in April.

Glacier Presbyterian Camp is on the west shore of Flathead Lake south of Lakeside and is owned by Glacier Presbytery, according to the camp’s website.

Reporter Brett Berntsen contributed to this story.