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Holiday picture session turns horrific when deck collapses | 2 victims with exposed-bone injuries

It began as a night of cheer but ended with multiple injuries and a handful of trips to the hospital.

Two people have been air-lifted to an area hospital with major injuries after a deck collapse in metro Atlanta.

According to a spokesperson for the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, the deck collapse happened Saturday afternoon on Lake Sorrento Drive. A spokesperson for the fire department later added that as many as 15 people were on the structure when it fell. Six of them were taken to the hospital.

The two who were airlifted were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital's Trauma I emergency room - which is equipped to handle some of the most serious injuries.  

11Alive has learned that the victims were on the deck taking Christmas photos when the deck collapsed and sent them falling roughly 8 feet.

"After the third photo, the deck just collapsed," said the homeowner who spoke off-camera. "I don't remember nothing else but I heard screaming. I landed on, I think, two people - I just started screaming and hollering."

Neighbors heard the screams and ran to help.

"It was just more or less hearing the sound and having to run over and see what happened," contractor Damani Allen said.

He was working on a neighbors home when the collapse happened.

"It was scary for the simple fact that I'm a contractor and just seeing you know, just - just the aftermath," he said.

Family members said the collapse happened out of nowhere and left them piled on top of each other.

Fire department officials said they both had compound fractures meaning bone was exposed.  One of those was the homeowner's sister.

"I rolled over and saw my little sister," she said. "Her bone was sticking out her ankle."

Outside of those who were hospitalized, others who were on the deck suffered minor injuries.

The homeowner said that had she had any idea that there was a problem with the deck, she would have never had people over.

"This is nothing you can prepare for," she said. "And if I'd a known my deck was going to do that, I would have never had nobody out here."

Though some were severe, none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

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