The Miami Heat may have won Game 4 of the NBA Finals, but during their heated game, at least 100 fans were victims of an infrastructure accident at a local bar.
The deck at Shuckers Bar & Grill collapsed into the Biscayne Bay on Thursday night, injuring 31 and sending two to the hospital in critical condition.
An employee at the restaurant told CBS Miami that the crowd was on their feet, cheering a Miami Heat basket, when the deck started to fold in.
“There was just a crack, and then we were in the water,” patron Crystal Infante told the Miami Herald. “It was really hard to get out, and you couldn’t find anyone.”
WSVN news director Tom Tuckwell witnessed the collapse. He told the station his back was turned to the patio when he heard an enormous roar and spun to see “people disappearing beneath him.”
When the deck collapsed, Shuckers lost power. Rescue divers jumped into the water to search for patrons as two helicopters above provided limited light.
One witness describes the scene:
Martin Torres, 42, of Los Angeles, said he was inside the sports bar with family and friends when heard a loud explosion. At first, he thought a boat had struck the deck. He said he looked outside and saw people staring up from the water, and then he and others started helping them out of the bay.
“It was shock,” said Torres. “People were yelling. Nobody knew. People came out all wet. They were crying. For a while, nobody knows what was going on.”
After the game, Heat player Dwyane Wade said that his thoughts were with the injured fans.
“I’d like to share our concerns as an organization and our gratitude to our fans back in Miami, but share our concerns for all that were injured tonight at Shucker’s restaurant,” he said.
As do we. We’re glad everyone was pulled from the water and our thoughts are with those still hospitalized.
SOURCE: CBS
