At least 12 people hospitalized after Cowboys' bubble roof at practice facility collapses
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WRITETHRU () —
(PHOTOS)
By Matthew Peterson
The Dallas Morning News
(MCT)
IRVING, Texas — The roof of the Dallas Cowboys' indoor practice facility collapsed during a fierce thunderstorm on Saturday, ending the afternoon practice in horrifying fashion as players, coaches and members of the media scrambled for safety.
"The roof tore as if it were ... a candy wrapper," Larry Rodriguez, a cameraman for local KDFW-TV, who was inside the facility with about 70 people.
Twelve people caught in the wreckage were hospitalized, at least two in serious condition, said Dr. Paul Pepe, head of emergency medical services for Dallas County. None of the injuries appeared to be life threatening, he said.
No players were injured in the collapse, which happened about 3:30 p.m. CDT during the second day of a rookie minicamp at the facility.
The first sign of trouble was when the eight-story facility's lights started shaking, Rodriguez said. Then he heard a loud sound and looked up to see the sky.
"The next thing we were trying to dodge these huge big light canisters," said Rodriguez, who took cover under scaffolding. "We just froze."
The National Weather Service reported winds of more than 60 mph in the area and a severe thunderstorm warning was issued about 3 p.m. But there was no sign of a tornado.
"Apparently there was a microburst that produced 60 to 70 mph winds," said meteorologist Jesse Moore of the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. "It is very difficult to distinguish what is a tornado and what is a downburst."
A tornado warning remains in effect for Dallas County until midnight, Moore said.
Paul Riggs, another TV cameraman inside the facility at the time, said he looked up and saw the roof falling.
"I sprinted harder than I have in decades," he said.
Riggs said he got under a raised platform with several offensive linemen from the team.
"It fell around us," he said. "Then it was pure chaos."
At least four members of the Cowboys support staff were hospitalized, according to a Cowboys spokesman.
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said special teams coach Joe DeCamillis suffered a neck injury and was taken to an area hospital by ambulance.
"He was moving his hands, and he was talking," Phillips said before leaving for the hospital.
Phillips said a couple of players suffered minor injuries.
A 33-year-old man was impaled by an object and was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalezsaid.
Two other people were taken to Parkland, one with a head injury and another who suffered neck and back injuries. Another person was at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas with an open leg fracture.
Jason Odette, a student who lives near the facility, was outside as the storm passed through and watched in shock as the roof caved in.
"I did see the roof coming apart off the top of the building and just heard metal twisting and popping," he said. "It had that string-popping noise."
Gonzalez said officials are trying to determine what caused the collapse.
"The rain came down very abruptly and sat on the top, and that might have been what caused it," Gonzalez said.
The National Weather Service recorded wind gusts in excess of 60 mph near Valley Ranch around that time. There's no indication that a tornado touched down, weather service meteorologist Daniel Huckaby said.
"When you are talking of winds in excess of 60 mph, it can certainly cause damage," Huckaby said. "They can easily be as strong as a low-end tornado."
Duane Witzowski, who works at a gas station a block away from the facility, said powerful wind gusts pummeled the area for a few minutes starting around 3:30 p.m. The wind tore branches from trees, knocked down signs and nearly uprooted a gasoline pump at his Valero station, Witzowski said.
"It felt like we were the middle of a tornado," he said.
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(c) 2009, The Dallas Morning News.
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PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):
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