Shocking new footage has emerged of the moment a balcony collapsed beneath dozens of Sydney school leavers who were partying at a beachside rental property.
About 40 teenagers were crammed into a small balcony of the group’s ocean-view getaway, in the seaside town of Vincentia on the NSW south coast, when the wooden platform suddenly gave way shortly before midnight on Saturday.
In the video, shot amid a heaving crowd of partygoers on the balcony, the teens can be seen jumping and dancing to loud music with their hands in the air.
You see a girl sitting on the shoulders of another partygoer.
But then their boisterous singing suddenly turned into terrified screams and panicked screams as the wooden platform gave way.
You can hear partygoers cursing as the screen spins and then goes black.
‘Oh my God!’ you hear a girl shouting repeatedly.
Footage of the chaotic aftermath showed panicked partygoers surrounding their injured friends lying on the ground.
Video shows the wild party in full swing before the balcony collapsed, leaving four teenagers in hospital
“Bro, what the fuck!” says a startled partygoer in the background
Four teenagers, a man and three women, were taken to hospital with leg and back injuries, while 10 others escaped with minor injuries.
Earlier on Sunday, the collapsed balcony remained cordoned off as partygoers inspected the damage and began cleaning up after a chaotic night.
Most of the balcony railings remained intact with clothing still hanging from them while the collapsed wooden platform leaned against the side of the building.
Shocked locals told Daily Mail Australia they were relieved no one was killed or seriously maimed in the horror crash that rocked the party and left the teenagers in a chaotic mass in the rental company’s backyard.
The group were initially booked to stay at the sprawling three-bedroom property for an end-of-year party as part of their ‘Schoolies’ celebrations, but many left early on Sunday when their parents arrived on the scene.
“We could hear the music pumping and then suddenly all hell broke loose,” a neighbor told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It was like “boom!” …you could hear the crash and the screaming – next thing you know, sirens are going off and the whole scene lights up.
‘It’s fortunate that no one was seriously injured. I don’t know who should pay for the damage.
“I assume they have liability insurance since it’s a rental property, but who knows how that will work out.”
Footage of the chaotic aftermath shows frenzied partygoers helping their injured comrades
The teens were still cleaning up the scene around lunchtime on Sunday when their parents arrived to inspect the damage
A trio of teenagers staying at the property greeted Daily Mail Australia with sheepish grins as they cleaned up the house after the wild party on Sunday morning.
“We’re from western Sydney and we’ve been here relaxing after school,” one person explained.
About 40 teams were partying on the balcony of their rental accommodation when it gave way on Saturday around 11:30 p.m.
“I wouldn’t call last night a wild party, but it had been a good party until the balcony broke.”
They were soon shuffled back inside by their parents, who helped them deal with the aftermath of the shocking incident.
Outside, the property’s beachfront lawn was littered with beer bottles from the night before, while a group of teenagers over lunch continued to survey the extensive damage and share stories of the collapse, while others packed their bags and left.
Neighbors said the group of newly graduated schoolchildren had been “polite” and “respectful” during their stay, even inviting the entire street to their party.
Known as ‘Seaside Reflections’, the house is located on Elizabeth Drive in Vincentia, along a stretch of road lined with vacation rentals, just south of Huskisson.
As some children left on Sunday, others stayed and shared stories of the collapse
An online listing notes that the “split-level beachfront home overlooking Collingwood Beach” offers “sun, surf and water views” and can comfortably sleep eight people for $280 per night.
It boasts that the property offers ‘spectacular views of Jervis Bay’ and that the master bedroom has a ‘private balcony with access via steps to the rear garden/beach’.
Many of the properties immediately adjacent to the house were still empty at the weekend, with locals noting that the busy tourist season usually doesn’t get underway until Christmas.
Longtime resident Ben McKenzie, who lives across the street, said he helped the teens inspect the damage Sunday morning and described the group as “a great group of kids.”
“Most of the houses on the street are still empty at this time of year, but they were still going door to door letting everyone know they were going to have a party,” he said.
‘They didn’t start until later in the evening because I think they had all gone out for dinner in the pub.
“They let everyone know they were going to play some music and invited everyone to come have a drink if they wanted. It’s certainly not like they were partying from six o’clock or anything.
A group of teenagers are assessing the damage after their wild house party ended in disaster last weekend
‘They said they’d have the music off at midnight, but they didn’t even get a chance to continue that long because around 10:30 p.m., when they were all on the balcony, the damn thing collapsed. ‘
Mr McKenzie said he “felt sorry for them” and that they seemed to be a “great group of kids” celebrating the end of their school days.
‘It must have been a shock. “I especially sympathize with the young people who were injured,” he said.
“They told me one of them had broken his ankle, another had dislocated his shoulder and a few others had abrasions.”
Another neighbor three doors down was unaware of the incident when contacted by Daily Mail Australia while they were having brunch on their patio on Sunday, saying the music was not loud enough to wake them from their sleep. wake up.
They said they were glad no one was seriously injured, but wondered if the property’s owners knew their home was hosting an end-of-year party for more than 40 teenagers.
One of the partygoers was seen limping around the house on Sunday morning as parents traveled to and from the rental property on Sunday morning and helped their children pack.
“Emergency services were called to a home on Elizabeth Drive in Vincentia at approximately 11:30 PM on Saturday, November 30, 2024, following reports of a balcony collapse,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.
‘Officers from South Coast Police District were told that around 40 people – all in their teens – were on the balcony when it collapsed.
‘Four people – three women and one man – were injured and were treated at the scene by ambulance staff for minor injuries and taken to hospital for further treatment.’