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MAGNOLIA, Texas (KTRK) — A 16-year-old tragically lost his life after being trapped under a collapsed structure during severe storms in Magnolia on Tuesday, authorities reported.
Captain Bryan Perry of the Magnolia Fire Department stated that they received a call about the collapse around 1 p.m., coinciding with the arrival of the storm and its strong winds.
Firefighters responded to a newly constructed subdivision on Willow Heights Lane near FM 1488, where they found two collapsed structures and a third one damaged. Upon their arrival, they were informed that someone was trapped in the rubble.
“Another part of the building started to collapse after we got there,” Perry said. “So we had to spend some time shoring up that part of the structure to ensure the safety of the firefighters working to remove the debris.”
First responders from multiple agencies, including the Woodlands, Conroe, and North Montgomery County fire departments, spent about three and a half hours attempting to reach the victim. Unfortunately, the 16-year-old did not survive, and his body was recovered from the debris around 4:15 p.m.
Specialist Caleb Cole of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as a 16-year-old working a summer job at the construction site. Several employees had been inside the structure and noticed it beginning to shift before evacuating. The victim, however, was unable to escape and was trapped.
Christian Hernandez, another construction worker, witnessed the collapse from outside.
“We saw the houses move really badly, and then we heard cracking noises. We thought, ‘That house is going to fall,'” Hernandez said. “I was scared. I picked up my tools and called my dad because it was like a tornado.”
An investigation is underway to determine if the collapse was directly caused by the severe storm.