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Chilmark Deck Collapse Tied to Rotting Beams
Rotting
beams caused the collapse of a deck which injured several people at
an evening party in Chilmark last Thursday night.
Chilmark building inspector Leonard Jason Jr. made a visit to the
home on Friday morning and inspected the damage. "It was a
combination of too many people on the deck and it was rotted where
it let go," Mr. Jason told the Gazette yesterday.
At approximately 6:45 p.m., an outside deck loaded with people
collapsed during a cocktail party. Emergency medical technicians,
firemen and other public safety workers from around the Island
hustled to the scene at Clam Point Cove Road; the house belongs to
Gayle K. Lee. At least nine people were transported by ambulance to
the Martha's Vineyard Hospital emergency room. Several more were
treated for abrasions, cuts and bruises.
Mr. Jason said the deck was at least 30 years old and the building
of the house precedes the era of building inspections.
The building inspector urged anyone who has an outside deck to have
it inspected at least annually. "People should be aware they need to
maintain all wooden structures. Every year they should take a walk
around their homes and look for rot," Mr. Jason said.
If a homeowner doesn't feel qualified to do an inspection or could
use help, Mr. Jason said a structural engineer can be hired to take
a look. There are a number of structural engineers on the Island
capable of doing such an assessment. Just being more familiar with
what lies beneath most outside floors can avert an accident like the
one that happened Thursday night, Mr. Jason said.
The Martha's Vineyard Hospital staff worked well into the night
tending to patients involved in the accident. Rachel Vanderhoop,
hospital spokesman, said: "We were once again reminded of our good
fortune to have such highly trained rescue personnel on the Island.
Martha's Vineyard Hospital and its staff are proud to be among those
who joined in the incredible effort that resulted in such a positive
outcome."