TAMWORTH — A floor collapse during a wedding ceremony in Tamworth sent dozens of guests plunging into the barn's cellar Saturday afternoon, sending six people to the hospital and prompting a state-led investigation.
More than 140 people were inside the Sap House building, a small barn next to the bigger wedding venue at The Preserve at Chocorua, 88 Philbrick Neighborhood Road, when the collapse occurred at about 4:33 p.m., according to authorities.
kAmr2==6CD C6A@CE65 E92E >F=E:A=6 A6@A=6 H6C6 EC2AA65 F?56C 362>D 2?5 72C>:?8 6BF:A>6?E 27E6C E96 H@@56? 7=@@C 82G6 H2J] }6H w2>AD9:C6 $E2E6 u:C6 |2CD92= $62? !] %@@>6J E@=5 (|&#\r92??6= h E92E E96J 76== 2AAC@I:>2E6=J g 766E]k^Am
kAmxE :D ?@E <?@H? H96E96C :E H2D 2 =@42= H655:?8 @C 3@@<65 3J @FE\@7\E@H? G:D:E@CD] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6 u:C6 |2CD92=’D ~77:46[ `cc A6@A=6 H6C6 :? E96 3F:=5:?8 2E E96 DE2CE @7 E96 46C6>@?J] x?G6DE:82E@CD D2:5 ?62C=J f_ 8F6DED — 23@FE 92=7 — 76== E9C@F89 2? @A6?:?8 23@FE a_ 3J a_ 766E]k^Am
kAm%@@>6J D2:5 @? |@?52J E92E EH@ A6@A=6 C6>2:? 9@DA:E2=:K65]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ (|&#[ 7:C6 @77:4:2=D D2:5 2 A=246 @7 2DD6>3=J A6C>:E 925 ?@E 366? :DDF65 7@C E96 D2A 9@FD6] %96 A6C>:E :D C6BF:C65 F?56C DE2E6 =2H 7@C 82E96C:?8D @7 >@C6 E92? `__ A6@A=]k^Am
kAm“!C6=:>:?2CJ 7:?5:?8D :?5:42E6 E92E E96 $2A w@FD6 3F:=5:?8[ H96C6 E96 4@==2AD6 @44FCC65[ AC652E6D E96 DE2E6’D 3F:=5:?8 4@56[” D2:5 %@@>6J]k^Am
kAm“%96 @44FA2?4J =@25 7@C E96 DA246[ 2D C6BF:C65 3J E96 $E2E6 u:C6 r@56[ C6>2:?D F?56C C6G:6H[” 96 25565]k^Am
kAmqJ E96 E:>6 7:CDE C6DA@?56CD 2CC:G65[ G6?F6 DE277 2?5 8F6DED 925 2=C625J 368F? AC@G:5:?8 7:CDE 2:5 2?5 FD:?8 =2556CD E@ 96=A E9@D6 H9@ 925 72==6? 86E @FE @7 E96 32C?] u:C67:89E6CD 2DD:DE65 255:E:@?2= G:4E:>D 2?5 6G2=F2E65 :?;FC:6D 2E E96 D46?6[ H9:=6 >FEF2= 2:5 56A2CE>6?ED 7C@> DFCC@F?5:?8 4@>>F?:E:6D C6DA@?565 @C AC@G:565 DE2E:@? 4@G6C286]k^Am
kAm$:I 25F=ED H6C6 EC2?DA@CE65 3J 2>3F=2?46 E@ 2C62 9@DA:E2=D H:E9 :?;FC:6D 56D4C:365 2D ?@?\=:76\E9C62E6?:?8] u@FC 92G6 D:?46 366? C6=62D65]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= @E96CD H6C6 EC62E65 2E E96 D46?6] ~77:4:2=D D2:5 E96 E@E2= ?F>36C 2?5 D6G6C:EJ @7 :?;FC:6D C6>2:? F?56C :?G6DE:82E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 $F? @3D6CG65 2 {:767=:89E @7 |2:?6 96=:4@AE6C 56A2CE:?8 E96 D46?6 2C@F?5 e A]>] %96 96=:4@AE6C H2D C6A@CE65=J EC2?DA@CE:?8 @?6 A2E:6?E H:E9 =@H6C\6IEC6>:EJ :?;FC:6D E@ |2:?6 |65:42= r6?E6C[ %@@>6J E@=5 (|&#]k^Am
kAm%96 C@25 H2D 4=@D65 F?E:= g A]>]k^Am
kAmu:C6 r9:67 #:49 r@=4@C5 E@=5 E96 $F? :? 2? 6>2:= |@?52J “2 >2DD 42DF2=EJ :?4:56?E :D 2? 6G6?E :? H9:49 E96 ?F>36C @C D6G6C:EJ @7 42DF2=E:6D 6I4665D E96 2G2:=23=6 >65:42= C6D@FC46D] ]]] (6 H6C6 7@CEF?2E6 E92E H6 925 ?@ =:76\E9C62E6?:?8 :?;FC:6D]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 :?G6DE:82E:@? C6>2:?D :? :ED 62C=J DE286D[ @77:4:2=D D2:5 AC6=:>:?2CJ 7:?5:?8D :?5:42E6 E96 3F:=5:?8 >2J 92G6 366? @G6C 42A24:EJ 2E E96 E:>6 @7 E96 4@==2AD6]k^Am
kAm%96 :?4:56?E 92D 5C2H? ?2E:@?2= 2EE6?E:@?[ H:E9 4@G6C286 7C@> @FE=6ED :?4=F5:?8 &$p %@52J[ u~) 2?5 pqr }6HD[ A=FD ?F>6C@FD =@42= %' DE2E:@?D :? q@DE@? 2?5 36J@?5]k^Am
kAm%96 !C6D6CG6 2E r9@4@CF2 56D4C:36D :ED6=7 @? u2463@@< 2D 2 “DEF??:?8 ae\24C6 ?2EFC2= C6EC62E 6?4@>A2DD:?8 2 9:DE@C:4 72C>9@FD6[ 32C?[ 42CC:286 9@FD6[ 2?5 4@EE286D]” %96 $2A w@FD6 :D 56D4C:365 2D “2 BF:?E6DD6?E:2= }6H t?8=2?5 >2A=6 DF82C D924<” FD65 7@C 46C6>@?:6D 2?5 82E96C:?8D]k^Am
kAmxE :D @H?65 3J |2CJ !96=AD[ H9@ @H?65 E96 G6?F6 7@C >2?J J62CD H:E9 96C 9FD32?5[ t5 !96=AD[ H9@ 5:65 :? pAC:= @7 a_`h]k^Am
kAm~? }@G] `a[ a_`f[ 2 =2C86C[ 9:DE@C:4 32C? @? E96 AC@A6CEJ E92E H2D FD65 E@ 9@=5 H655:?8D 2?5 @E96C 46=63C2E:@?D 3FC?65 E@ E96 8C@F?5[ 3FE H2D C63F:=E :? a_`g] x? a_aa[ z6??6EE w:89 96=5 :ED AC@> E96C6]k^Am
kAm%9:D A2DE $2EFC52J[ E96 pFEF>? }@>25 r276 @7 y24<D@? H2D 42E6C:?8 E96 6G6?E[ 2?5 @H?6C y2:>6 |4r@?<6J D2:5 96C DE277 2DD:DE65 :? E96 :>>65:2E6 C6DA@?D6]k^Am
kAm“(96? E96 :?4:56?E @44FCC65[ 3@E9 >J E62> 2?5 E96 G6?F6 E62> H6C6 :>>65:2E6=J AC6D6?E 2?5 C6DA@?565 H:E9@FE 96D:E2E:@?[” |4r@?<6J D2:5] “uC@> 42==:?8 h`` E@ BF:4<=J 82E96C:?8 =2556CD 2?5 A9JD:42==J 2DD:DE:?8 E9@D6 :?G@=G65[ 6G6CJ@?6 DE6AA65 :? :?DE:?4E:G6=J E@ 96=A :? 2?J H2J E96J 4@F=5]”k^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 96C DE277 H2D ?@E :?;FC65 2?5 4@?E:?F65 D6CG:?8 8F6DED 27E6C E96 :?4:56?E] “*6DE6C52J H2D 5:77:4F=E @? >2?J =6G6=D[ 3FE :E 2=D@ C6:?7@C465 D@>6E9:?8 x H:== ?6G6C 7@C86E — 9@H A6@A=6 4@>6 E@86E96C :? >@>6?ED E92E ECF=J >2EE6C[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 $F? C624965 @FE E@ !96=AD |@?52J 7@C 4@>>6?E 3FE 5:5 ?@E C646:G6 2 C6DA@?D6]k^Am
kAmt>6C86?4J C6DA@?56CD 7C@> r@?H2J[ |@F=E@?3@C@F89[ |25:D@?[ ~DD:A66[ uC665@> 2?5 t77:?892> H6C6 @3D6CG65 2E E96 D46?6]k^Am
kAm%2>H@CE9 $6=64E>2? {:2??6 !C6?E:46 D2:5 D96 925 ?@E J6E 366? 3C:6765 @? E96 :?4:56?E 2D @7 E96 H66<6?5]k^Am
kAm“x :>28:?6 :7 H6 86E ?6HD[ H6 H:== 5:D4FDD :E 2E %F6D52J’D >66E:?8[” !C6?E:46 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 3@2C5 :D D4965F=65 E@ >66E E@52J 2E d A]>] 2E E96 E@H? @77:46]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 364@>:?8 %96 !C6D6CG6[ E96 H655:?8 G6?F6 @A6C2E65 2D E96 qC2DD w62CE x?? 2?5 62C=:6C 2D $E277@C5’D :? E96 u:6=5[ @H?65 3J uC65 2?5 #2>@?2 $E277@C5] x? E96 `he_D[ :E H2D 762EFC65 :? E96 EC2G6= 3@@< “r@F?ECJ x??D 2?5 q24<C@25D]”k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.