A total of 12 individuals attending Diablo Valley College’s graduation ceremony were injured after a tree fell on top of them in circumstances unknown. While the students managed to graduate, some of the injured, likely family members, sought treatment at local hospitals.
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According to a Diablo Valley College post on Facebook, the incident took place at around 6:54 p.m. on Friday, May 23. At the time, the commencement ceremony was taking place in Pleasant Hill, California. All of a sudden, a tree located next to the college’s football field fell. As a result, 12 attendees who were watching the ceremony were struck by the tree.
Out of the 12 injured attendees, two were transported to local hospitals to receive treatment. Additionally, a third individual transported themselves to al local hospital for treatment. The rest of the injured people were treated and released on site. None of the injured were graduating students.
Further Details
Fox Weather, while citing the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, reported that none of the injuries were considered life-threatening. However, the incident did prompt a large response. Thankfully, emergency crews were already present at Diablo Valley College when the incident unfolded, as part of the school’s standard event protocols.
“Following the emergency response, DVC’s maintenance and operations team began removing the tree,” the school added.
Currently, the incident remains under investigation as no clear cause for the tree’s falling was provided by the school’s officials or authorities. Fox Weather, however, reports that winds in the area recorded speeds of 30 mph at the time of the event.
As per the outlet, the event continued successfully, and school operations remained unaltered.
Jennifer Ortega, Director of Communications for the Contra Costa Community College District, told KTVU in a statement that an announcement was made at the time for attendees to stay clear, given the oncoming response vehicles.
“The safety of our students, employees, and visitors to our campus is our top priority,” Diablo Valley College said. “We deeply regret that this incident occurred during this milestone occasion. We congratulate all of our 2,442 graduates and wish them joyous celebrations with their loved ones this evening.”
“Our thoughts are with all individuals and families affected by this incident, and we wish those injured a speedy recovery.”