6 Injured, 1 Taken to Hospital Following Pier Collapse on Lake Mendota
Madison, WI
The Madison Fire Department Lake Rescue Team, Medic 6, Engine 4, and Command Car 31 were dispatched with UWPD and the Dane County Sheriff's Office to the Memorial Union Terrace after multiple 911 callers reported a pier collapse.
Command Car 31 (C31) was in the area when the dispatch came in. Two additional ambulances and one additional engine company were requested to assist with triaging patients and treating possible injuries.
Upon arrival, C31 began to triage people along the shore to identify any patients. Meanwhile, dozens of people were in the process of swimming back to shore as other responding MFD units arrived on scene. The MFD Lake Rescue Team entered the water to perform an underwater search of the area where the collapse occurred. Lake Rescue 1 confirmed there were no additional patients trapped or drowned.
Approximately 60-80 people are estimated to have been on the pier when it collapsed. One person was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Five others reported injuries. They were treated by EMTs and paramedics and released at the scene.