Briarwood Country Club: Deck collapse prompts investigation as dozens left injured

A deck collapsed during a popular golf tournament at Montana's Briarwood Country Club on Saturday evening, July 23, injuring more than 30 people. The injured individuals were taken to local hospitals. Emergency services responded to the incident at 7:50 p.m. after receiving a call about a collapsed patio on Briarwood Boulevard's 3400 block in Billings.

The Billings Police Department shared the news on a Facebook post on Sunday, July 23. Matt Lennick, the Billings police Lieutenant stated that the police department assisted American Medical Response (AMR) and the Billings Fire Department after getting the emergency call. It was confirmed at the time that the accident did not bring any fatality to anyone.

Lieutenant Matt Lennick shared the news on Facebook. (Image via Facebook/Billings Police Department)

Lt. Lennick further said that Lockwood fire/ambulance and Laurel Ambulance also responded to the scene to assist the rescue. The area was congested due to emergency response vehicles assisting at Briarwood Country Club.

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250 participants registered for the golf tournament at Briarwood Country Club

Briarwood Country Club hosts events like corporate gatherings and weddings. Its golf club is for private access. Victoria Hill, a city spokesperson said the collapse took place while a popular local golf tournament was running at the club where about 250 participants registered.

The second-story patio floor at Briarwood Country Club broke down, causing broken ribs, head wounds, and other injuries as audience at the golf tournament landed on top of each other. Scraps of food and debris from the collapse were strewn over the grass next to the golf course of the club.

The Billings Police Department said that they are yet to determine what caused the collapse. Eight of the injured people were treated on site. Police also noted that additional guests might have left the venue with injuries.

Some believe the balcony area was overcrowded which led to the collapse. (Image via Twitter/@CNN)

Mark Zagel, a patron at the Briarwood Counry Club wrote on social media that he fell through the deck. Zagel mentioned that 30 to 40 people were on the patio when one of its sections of about 12-13 ft collapsed. He added:

“I am fine though the ribs on my right side are pretty bruised and have a couple of other minor bumps. Nothing broken, no head injuries ... There were multiple other more significant injuries — mostly broken bones. I landed on someone directly and had to be helped off her.”

Some believe the balcony area was overcrowded which led to the collapse. (Image via Twitter/@CNN)

The roads near St. Vincent Healthcare and the Billings Clinic were shut down by the police to make accessing the hospitals easy. CEO of the Billings Clinic, Dr. Clint Seger stated that six patients invovled in the Briarwood Country Club accident were sent to their hospital and they were expecting three more patients. He added:

“We have multiple trauma surgeons, ER physicians and the ER team along with critical care staff on site receiving patients.”

Another official at the Billings Clinic later said that 11 victims related to the country club incident were admitted.

Around 14 ambulances were spotted on scene Saturday evening. The Billings Police Department dispatched 12 patrol units to provide traffic and crowd control in the area of the incident.