Brick column collapses and kills 19-year-old on college campus, Oregon rescuers say

A brick column collapsed at a Portland college, killing a 19-year-old man and injuring two 18-year-old women, Oregon firefighters reported.

Emergency crews responded to the accident at Lewis & Clark College at 8:15 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29, Portland Fire & Rescue reported in a news release.

Rescuers found no one was pinned by the collapse but a student had died of his injuries, firefighters said. One woman had an arm injury and the other an abdominal injury.

The two women were taken to a hospital, the release said.

Six people were in three hammocks attached to free-standing brick columns near the center of campus when one column crumbled, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

In a statement, Lewis & Clark College said it was “devastated” by the accident.

“We are deeply saddened by the shocking loss of a member of our community,” the statement said.

This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Brick column collapses and kills 19-year-old on college campus, Oregon rescuers say."