Metal pipe collapse, 6 injured at Colorado resort pool
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Six people were injured — two critical — when part of a heating and ventilation system collapsed Saturday at a Colorado resort pool, firefighters said.
There were 50 to 100 guests in the pool when the collapse occurred around 9:50 a.m. at the Gaylord Rockies resort near Denver International Airport, Aurora Fire Rescue said.
Large metal pipes and mechanical parts mounted on the ceiling crashed onto the pool deck and into the water, covering nearly the entire area of the pool, agency spokeswoman Sherri-Jo Stowell said.
The victims suffered injuries that ranged from penetrating wounds and lacerations to “injuries consistent with being crushed,” she said. She declined to release the ages of the victims, citing department policy.
Fire Chief Alec Oughton said crews were already at the resort, running up and down the stairs for physical training, when the collapse occurred.
An operator who answered the phone at the resort hung up on a reporter who called for comment.
The resort will conduct an investigation into the cause of the collapse and will be responsible for keeping guests away from the pool, Oughton said.
The resort and convention center has more than 1,000 rooms, a water park and meeting rooms.
Aurora officials said they expect a thorough investigation and thanked first responders.
“Our hearts go out to all those injured today, to their families, and to those traumatized by witnessing what happened,” city spokesman Ryan S. Luby said in a statement.