The Sap House at The Preserve at Chocorua. State Fire Marshal’s photo
TAMWORTH: At 4:33 p.m. Saturday, Tamworth Fire/Rescue responded to The Preserve at Chocorua, at 88 Philbrick Neighborhood Road in Tamworth, for reports that a floor had collapsed during a wedding.
About 144 people were on the floor of The Sap House for a wedding when the floor collapsed into the basement, and multiple people were trapped under beams as well as farming equipment, according to a press release from State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey and Tamworth Fire/Rescue Chief Richard Colcord.
“While the investigation is in its early stages, investigators believe the building was over capacity prior to the floor collapse,” the release said.
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“The preliminary investigation has determined that at the start of the wedding ceremony, 144 guests were in the venue’s Sap House building when the floor collapsed and nearly 70 people, about half of the guests, fell through an approximately 20-by-20-foot opening into the basement,” the release said.
The Sap House is described on the The Preserve at Chocorua’s website as: “A quintessential New England Maple Sugar shack with endless uses. Host an intimate ceremony, stage with stately furniture for a lounge feel, or host an indoor/outdoor cocktail hour. Custom uses for your event are endless.”
When first responders arrived on scene, they learned that venue staff and wedding guests had already provided initial first aid to some guests and used ladders to help individuals who fell through the collapsed floor. Firefighters assisted additional guests and began on-scene evaluations of those who reported injuries.
Six adults were transported by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries to area hospitals, and multiple other guests were treated at the scene. Four of those hospitalized have since been released. The full extent of injuries as a result of the incident remains under investigation.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is encouraged to contact the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office at (603) 223-4289 or [email protected].
