WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Frantic 911 calls were released Monday after nine people were hospitalized from a deck collapsing in Ashe County Saturday.
EMS said they began responding to calls around 8:00 p.m. at a location on 500 block of Little Tree Road.
At least two of the nine patients were airlifted for treatment.
Call #1
Caller: “The deck just fell through. We had probably 15 people on the deck, and it fell through. [speaking to victims] Are you ok?”
Dispatcher: “Who am I speaking to?”
Call #2
Dispatcher: “Ashe 911, what’s the address of your emergency?”
Caller: “[Apple Watch automated message] The owner of this Apple Watch has taken a hard fall and is not responding to their watch. This message will repeat in five seconds.”
Dispatcher: “Hello?”
Caller: “Hi, I just got disconnected. 580 Little Tree Road. We were all standing on a deck, and it fell through.”
Dispatcher: “How many people were injured?”
Caller: “We currently have three or four people on the ground, maybe five. We have a baby. He’s ok; he’s crying.”
Dispatcher: “Can you give me an idea of what the injuries are? Is anyone unconscious? Is anybody not breathing?”
Caller: “Everybody’s breathing; I think we have a lot of head injuries.”
Dispatcher: “Is anybody bleeding profusely? Can you try to control any of the bleeding?”
Caller: “I don’t see any bleeding.”
Dispatcher: “Everybody that you’re seeing, keep talking to them, make sure nobody goes unconscious. Let me know if anything changes in that situation.”
Caller: “Ok, sounds good.”
Dispatcher: “Do you see any broken bones? Any traumatic injuries like that, that you can see?”
Caller: “Possibly, I just don’t know. People… heads, maybe?”
Dispatcher: “… we’ve got a lot of help coming to you, ok?”
Caller: “Ok.”
Multiple agencies, including Ashe Medic, Ashe County Rescue, the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office, Laurel Springs Volunteer Fire Department, Warrensville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Fleetwood Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, and West Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department were among those that responded to the scene.
It remains unclear at this time what the extent of the injuries is.
