Column collapses at Lewis and Clark College; 1 dead, 2 injured

Author: KGW Staff

PORTLAND, Ore. — One student was killed and two other people were injured Monday night at Lewis and Clark College campus in Southwest Portland after a brick column collapsed, Portland Fire & Rescue said.

Fire and rescue crews responded to a report of multiple injuries just after 8:15 p.m. Crews learned a group of six people were in three hammocks hanging from the column. No one was pinned beneath the column. Some 911 callers reported that one person was seriously injured and people were performing CPR on him.

A 19-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and two 18-year-old women were taken to the hospital. Fire officials could not release the condition of the women, but said one of them had injuries to one arm and the other had abdominal injuries. Portland Fire & Rescue could not confirm if the women were students.

The names of the student who died and those who were injured have not been released.

The incident happened on the first day of class at Lewis and Clark College.

“It wouldn’t matter what day it was, this was tragic,” said Terry Foster with Portland Fire & Rescue. “These kids are trying to adjust to college life, some of them for the first time, and it can be really challenging for them when they have this trauma.”

Foster said finding the group of people on campus was a challenge because of the large campus. He added that the dispatch log showed the incident was located near the reflecting pool on campus.

Lewis and Clark College released a statement on their website.

“We are devastated to report that earlier this evening, a tragic accident occurred on the undergraduate campus in which one of our students was killed and two others were injured,” the statement said. “We are working to contact the students’ families and will report more information as it becomes available. We are deeply saddened by the shocking loss of a member of our community.”

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