A joyous wedding celebration turned into a terrifying scene Saturday afternoon when the floor gave way at a New Hampshire reception venue, sending approximately 70 guests plummeting into the basement below.
Emergency responders transported six individuals to local hospitals following the incident at The Preserve at Chocorua in Tamworth, New Hampshire, which occurred around 4:30 p.m. Officials from the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed that all injuries were non-life-threatening, and four patients had been discharged from the hospital by Saturday evening.
The wedding celebration was taking place in a structure known as the Sap House when disaster struck. With more than 100 guests gathered inside for the festivities, the flooring suddenly buckled and created a massive 20-foot by 20-foot hole, according to a joint statement from Tamworth Fire/Rescue Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The situation became more complicated as fallen support beams and farm equipment stored in the basement trapped several victims. However, quick-thinking wedding guests and venue staff immediately sprang into action, using ladders to help those who had fallen climb back to safety and providing basic medical care to the injured before professional help arrived.
Images released by the Fire Marshal’s Office revealed the devastating scene – elegant white decorations and a chandelier still hanging above the destroyed floorboards, with wedding seating scattered around the gaping hole where guests had been celebrating moments before.
Emergency scanner communications captured the urgency of the response, with first responders describing approximately half the building’s floor as having collapsed into the basement. The responder noted that about 145 people were present at the event and requested additional personnel to interview witnesses while carefully extracting victims from the basement area.
Investigators are now examining the cause of the structural failure, with preliminary findings suggesting the building may have exceeded its safe capacity when the floor collapsed. The Fire Marshal’s Office continues to work with local fire officials to determine the full scope of the incident.
Tamworth, home to roughly 2,800 residents, sits about 115 miles north of New Hampshire’s capital city of Concord, close to the Maine state line. Attempts to reach The Preserve at Chocorua and the treating hospital for comment were unsuccessful Saturday evening.
