The oceanfront home where a deck suddenly collapsed Sunday afternoon, sending eight people to local hospitals, is operated as a short-term rental, neighbors told The Citizen.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the 2400 block of South Ponte Vedra Boulevard residence around 12:30 p.m. after a second-story balcony at the rear of the home gave way, leaving 13 people injured.
Five were treated at the scene, while eight were taken to area hospitals, including two to a local trauma center. All remain in stable condition.
“Nobody was trapped by the debris, so our guys got back there, controlled the scene, and figured out who was injured and who wasn’t,” St. Johns County Fire Rescue spokesman Chris Naff told The Citizen. “It was pretty chaotic.”
The crumpled deck remained visible Sunday as a man who arrived at the home declined to comment. Naff said the main structure appeared sound, although an investigation into the collapse is ongoing.
A man who pulled into the home’s driveway late Sunday declined to comment on the incident.
Property records show that the property last sold in 2022 to a limited liability company for $3.2.
While the nature of Sunday’s gathering remains unclear, a neighbor told The Citizen the home has long been used as a short-term rental and is not known for large crowds or disruptive behavior.
Just outside the home, a memorial sign commemorates Neil P. Phelps, a 44-year-old man who died in a motorcycle crash nearby in 2017.
Investigators continue to examine what caused the deck collapse.
The Citizen will update this story as more information becomes available.
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