It's been 40 years ago today since the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse

[sd4chiefs]

RIP to anyone who lost their life on that awful day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyatt_...lkway_collapse


On July 17, 1981, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri suffered the structural collapse of two overhead walkways. Loaded with partygoers, the concrete and glass platforms cascaded down, crashing onto a tea dance in the lobby, killing 114 and injuring 216. Kansas City society was afflicted for years, with billions of dollars of insurance claims, legal investigations, city government reforms, and Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalism by The Kansas City Star.

[eDave]

Originally Posted by srvy

On another strange coincidence I had moved out to Raytown for a few years with good friends I had met in the 70s working at Worlds of Fun. It was wild times and the night of the collapse we were out in the street at 79th block of Manning throwing a frisbee trying to figure out what to do that evening.
We called a friend that said he and his brother were going to the tea dance at Hyatt Regency and invited us. We thought a bit then declined as I thought it would be nothing but old folks. We all found other things to do. Then later saw the news on tv and worried about our friend. We called and called the next day and finally got hold of him in the evening. He said he had been right under the skywalk in line for a beer said the place was packed. He then got the urge to take a leak and walked out into a lobby for a RR to piss when banging and screams. He said it was sheer panic and dust and people running for doors. He looked for his brother till he was shuffled out the door. While outside there was his brother who had been waiting in a line to get in. He said he wanted a beer so bad but a piss saved him that night.

Another coincidence was one of my roommate's friends was a fireman and a firehouse near to the Hyatt. They were the first fire crew to the scene and he pulled many people out from under the rubble. Some alive some dead and says it's the worst thing he ever saw. He was stationed at the busiest firehouse in the City. The worst story was he was working the jack and A man's leg was traped they couldn't get him free and losing blood and in and out of consciousness. They made the decision he was going to lose his leg or die. A doctor on-site was summoned and said he would bleed out and he would lose his leg most likely anyway. From what I gather is the doc made the indecision around the get and the bone just under the hip was sawn through with a Sawzall by another fireman. The friend who was manning the jack then grabbed him and pulled him free. He carried to a EMT. He made it but months later died of complications he said.

To this day it's one of the worst things he had ever seen till his retirement.

That building is cursed during construction the atrium collapsed also and we did some fact finding work there on that one also. I have never set foot in that building since.

You've been very insightful.

[GayFrogs]

[gblowfish]

That building still gives me with willies. I don't go inside if I can help it.