Six people were injured Saturday morning after heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment collapsed in the pool area at Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colorado.
Two people suffered life-threatening injuries and all six were transported to local hospitals, the Aurora Fire Rescue (AFR) department said in a news release.
A number of AFR units were dispatched to the scene, “including ladder trucks, engine trucks, and the department’s Technical Rescue Team whose members specialize in collapsed structures,” the department said.
The AFR estimated there were 50-100 people inside the aquatics center at the time of the collapse.
Aurora Fire Chief Alec Oughton lauded the department’s quick response.
“I would like to share that the men and women of this agency train for this type of incident every day,” he said. “I am proud of their rapid and effective response in caring for our community.”
HVAC system collapses in Colorado hotel
2 critically injured, lawsuits definitely coming down pic.twitter.com/2u3Drr18KJ
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) May 8, 2023
Both Oughton and the city of Aurora said it was not their position to investigate the collapse and that that was up to the resort itself.
“There will be an investigation, that’ll be all the Gaylord’s responsibility,” said Oughton. “It’s not a fire department investigation but I know they have an interest in looking into what happened and getting to the bottom of it.”
The city said in a statement that its authority over incidents on private property was limited, according to CBS News Colorado.
“While it completed more than 60,000 inspections at the resort prior to the facility’s opening in 2018 to ensure compliance with the International Building Code, it is the property owner’s sole responsibility to address ongoing maintenance and operations issues on the property,” the city said. ”
Consequently, it is the property owner’s responsibility to conduct a thorough investigation involving professional engineers and other experts to understand what caused Saturday’s structural incident.”
Among those injured was Kolby Huseman, who hurt his back after shielding his five-year-old son from the collapse.
“I grabbed my son and kind of just, tucked him under me,” Huseman CBS News Colorado, noting that part of the duct fell directly on his back. “Right after it happened, it was kind of like a war zone — a lot of parents screaming for their kids.”
The owners of the resort will hire an independent contractor to investigate the collapse, according to The Denver Post.
This scenario is a nightmare.
I feel awful for everyone involved.