Several people sustained injuries Saturday when air conditioners collapsed at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora. Although two people suffered life-threatening injuries, Aurora Fire Rescue said the investigation into the collapse was being conducted by the resort. Authorities said six people were injured, two of whom were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries.
Aurora Fire Chief Alec Oughton told the press during a press conference following the incident that Gaylord’s management team was responsible for the investigation. He emphasized that this is not a fire department investigation, but rather an internal investigation by the resort to determine the incident and find answers.
A resort guest told news outlets that the resort was evacuated after a fire alarm went off. The witness saw an injured child receiving medical attention on the pool deck. They determined that the collapsed equipment appeared to be a pool channel.
The witness recorded videos of the injured being treated on the indoor pool deck. Another person said they were informed by resort staff that there was a ventilation failure and that there were at least two casualties.
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Trevor Spykerman, a 12-year-old resort guest who was at the scene of the accident, reported that the collapse lasted about 15 seconds and described how it happened in slow motion. He saw that no one was injured in the collapse, but observed a man with red spots on his back shortly after the incident. The resort staff and lifeguards responded immediately, followed later by paramedics and evacuated the building.
Fire Chief Oughon said the first call about a building collapse was received at 9:50 a.m. Some units were already on site and trained in the hotel and were the first to react. There were between 50 and 100 people in the pool area at the time and there is currently no evidence as to what led to the incident. Gaylord Rockies management and the fire department are investigating the incident. There is currently no risk of a future collapse.
Selected image credit: TripAdvisor.com
