Northern VA Family in Tragic 4th of July Deck Collapse at Beach Home

PHOTO of Emerald Isle vacation home from Zillow.com. A deck collapse on the 4th of July sent more than a dozen people to the hospital. Most of the vacationers were family members from Northern Virginia, according to news reports.

____________

A family from Northern Virginia was part of a group injured in a deck collapse on the 4th of July at a vacation beach home in Emerald Isle, N.C., according to the Cartaret County News-Times in North Carolina.

Town of Emerald Isle officials said most of the family members in the group of 24 who were on the vacation and taking a holiday family photo were from Northern Virginia.

Members of the group were standing on a deck to take a vacation photo when the deck collapsed, according to news reports. The North Carolina newspaper reports that it was a second-story screened-in porch that gave way.

Sixteen people were taken to the hospital according to the Cartaret County newspaper. One was airlifted and two are in critical condition, according to a news release from the Town of Emerald Isle. Five remained hospitalized as of Sunday morning.

Emerald Isle Fire Chief Bill Walker tells NBC News that the deck overlooking the ocean was attached to a home raised on pilings, and estimated the victims’ fall to be between 10 to 12 feet. The deck was part of a 6-bedroom, 5-bath oceanfront home is currently up for sale for nearly $1.149 million, according to Zillow.com.

FOX News reports that deteriorating nails led to the deck collapse. The deck was likely up to code when the house was built in 1986, but the nearly 30-year-old nails simply fell apart under the weight of the people standing on small part of the deck Saturday night, FOX News reported Emerald Isle Town Manager Frank Rush as saying.

How can you be sure your deck is safe or the deck of a vacation home you are renting is safe?

See a deck safety checklist here from the North American Deck and Railing Association. You can find a NADRA deck inspector here.

Fairfax County offers these deck safety tips:

1. Check support posts and beams for rot, splitting or abnormal movement. More...
2. Closely check the attachment points between the deck and the house. More...
3. Check all fasteners, bolts, joist hangers and other hardware for rust and/or corrosion. More...
4. Check all guards and rails to be sure they are sturdy and secured. More...
5. Use grills, heaters and outdoor fire pits with care. More...

The City of Alexandria offers a deck construction checklist.