A pier collapsed on Monday afternoon into a lake in Madison, Wisconsin, with 60 to 80 people on board, including dozens of students at the city’s university.
The moment was caught on camera and later posted to social media, showing the scary moment when the pier fell into the lake.
The video shows the pier full of people as it begins to crumble into the lake almost instantly, leaving “20 or so” people with minor injuries, one of whom was sent to a local hospital, according to the Madison Fire Department.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison released a statement about the incident, saying a “number of students and other members of the public were on the pier” when it collapsed.
“There were way too many kids on the piers. They were packed. There was no warning. All of a sudden, it went down, and people were in the water,” Debra Drewek, a retired nurse who was taking pictures at the terrace when the collapse occurred, shared with ABC News.
After the pier fell, those who were on it swam back to shore to safety. The school said the swimming area on the lake was not staffed by lifeguards.
“The pier is currently closed, and UW–Madison will investigate what occurred. The pier was due to be removed on Tuesday for the end of the summer season,” the school said in a statement.