Texas beach boardwalk collapses, injuring 21 summer camp teenagers 

An elevated boardwalk collapsed in a beachside city in Texas on Thursday, injuring at least 21 teenagers from a summer camp. 

The deck at Stahlman Park in Surfside Beach collapsed at around 1 p.m., said Brazoria County officials. Walking on the wooden boardwalk at the time of the collapse were dozens of teenagers from the Bayou City Fellowship summer camp, according to a news release by city officials. 

Police responded to the emergency call and set up landing zones for medical helicopters, said Surfside Beach Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Justin Mills. 

Five teenagers had to be transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston via medical helicopters, said public information officer for Brazoria County, Sharon Trower. 

Six others were transported to nearby hospitals by ambulance, while the rest were taken to hospitals by private vehicles, Trower added. 

The victims were all aged between 14 and 18 years old and were from Cypress, Tomball, and Spring Branch—cities outside of Houston. None of the injuries are expected to be life-threatening, Brazoria County officials said. 

A spokesperson at Memorial Hermann Hospital on Thursday said he did not have further information about the condition of the teenagers, reported The New York Times. 

Authorities are investigating what caused the collapse of the boardwalk, city officials said in the statement. Aerial videos of the boardwalk show the deck raised several feet off the ground on wooden beams, reported ABC 13. 

🚨#BREAKING: 21 Teens Hospitalized after a wooden boardwalk Collapses ⁰⁰📌#SurfsideBeach | #Texas

Currently multiple emergency crews are on the scene after a wooden boardwalk collapsed during a church camp event in Surfside Beach Texas, that has left 21 teenagers injured and… pic.twitter.com/rMFCYuohn3

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 8, 2023

“While this is a traumatic event, we are blessed to report that none of the injuries are life-threatening. We are thankful for the outpour of concern from our community and ask that the city and surrounding areas keep all that are affected physically and emotionally in prayer. For privacy reasons, we aren’t commenting on particular injuries or releasing the names of any involved,” said the Bayou City Fellowship Summer Camp in a statement. 

Surfside Beach is a small beachside city on the Gulf of Mexico, about 60 miles south of Houston.