SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas — Nearly two dozen summer campers were injured Thursday when part of an elevated walkway collapsed at a park in a beachside city in Texas.
It happened Thursday afternoon in Surfside Beach, which is in Brazoria County.
Surfside Beach Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Justin Mills said firefighters responded to a call at Stahlman Park at 12:34 p.m. The department was tasked with setting up landing zone for hospital helicopters.
Bayou City Fellowship said five of the injured were Life-Flighted to Memorial Hermann in Galveston, nine were taken by ambulance to St. Luke's in Galveston and five were taken via private vehicle to St. Luke's.
Officials said all of the injured campers were between 14 and 18. None of them sustained life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Officials said the teens were at a summer camp and were visiting from Cypress, Tomball and Spring Branch. They were taking a group photo when part of the walkway collapsed.
Air 11 video showed part of the walkway had collapsed to the ground while other parts of it were still intact.
Bayou City Fellowship released this statement on the incident:
"78 Students were visiting Surfside for an annual church camp from Bayou City Fellowship.
"At approximately 12:30 p.m. today, a portion of a deck collapsed at Stahlman Park while students from our Cypress campus took a group picture.
"There were several injuries.
"Five were life-flighted to Memorial Hermann in Galveston.
"Nine were taken by ambulance to St. Luke's Lake Jackson.
"Five were driven to St. Luke’s for precautionary measures.
"While this is a traumatic event, we are blessed to report that none of the injuries are life-threatening. We are thankful for the outpour of concern from our community and ask that the city and surrounding areas keep all that are affected physically and emotionally in prayer.
"For privacy reasons, we aren’t commenting on particular injuries or releasing the names of any involved."