Deck collapses at Montana lodge injuring more than 25, some critically
— -- Approximately 25 people were injured, some critically, after a deck collapsed at a lodge in northwest Montana Saturday afternoon, the local fire department said.
The incident occurred at Glacier Camp in Lakeside. "Glacier Camp is all about fun and meaningful Christ-centered camp/retreat experiences and good clean adventure based camp fun! (Presbyterian)," its Twitter bio reads.
The Somers/Lakeside Fire Department wrote on its Facebook page, "You probably heard a lot of sirens going through Somers and Lakeside today. There was a Mass Casualty Incident south of Lakeside. A deck collapsed at a get-together, injuring approximately 25+ people ... The cause of the collapse is under investigation."
Fourteen people were taken to local hospitals, Lake County Sheriff Don Bell told ABC affiliate KFBB. Medical personnel classify the severity of injuries in green, yellow and red stages. Red is most critical. Bell said some of the injured were in the "red category."
According to KFBB, those injured were attending a memorial service at Glacier Camp's Spruce Lodge, when the balcony on the second floor collapsed.
Eyewitnesses told KFBB that the deck felt "spongy" on one side, it then collapsed, and a domino effect ensued.
On its website, Glacier Camp wrote, "Dear friends, This afternoon, we had a major accident at camp. Please join us in praying for the injured and their families. We are grateful to all of the EMTs/Paramedics, fire departments and first responders who came to our aid. We ask for your prayers for all involved. We will not have camp in session this week."
ABC News' Dominick Proto contributed to this report.
