[Southsider2k12]

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/bridge.collap....2.1072160.html

Holiday Horror: 100 In Water In Bridge Collapse
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (CBS) ―

More than two dozen people were hurt late Saturday when a pedestrian bridge at Hidden Lake Park collapsed, sending at least 100 people into the water below.

Dive teams from Porter and Lake counties were called into search the water. Divers arrived at the park around 11 p.m. At least 20 ambulances and more than 50 emergency vehicles were summoned amid what appeared to be confusion caused in part by the large number of vehicles that impeded rescue operations.

A total of 26 people were injured, police said.

"Injuries ranged from lacerations to broken bones with no fatalities," said Lt. Phil Topor of the Ross Twp Fire Service.

"To date we are confident that all persons have been located and no further reports of missing persons have been reported," he said.

A human chain in the water was set up to search for potential victims but nobody was located.

"We were walking across, and everybody just stopped ... we heard two snaps, and we all went in the water," said Seth Argullin, 29, of Merrillville.

The crowds had gathered at the park for the fireworks display and were leaving just after 10 p.m.

Emergency vehicles were hampered in rescue operations because of the crowd, police reported on radio. At least one helicopter was dispatched to provide lighting.

The park is at 63rd Avenue and Broadway in Merrillville.

Lake Ridge and Crown Point provided mutual aid for Merrillville fire protection. Northbound Broadway was shut down during the rescue operation.

The wooden suspension bridge is wide enough to accommodate vehicles. It was not known what caused its collapse.

St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, The Methodist Hospitals in Merrillville and Saint Anthony Medical Center in Crown Point accepted the injured.

The cause of the collapse has not been determined as of yet and is still under investigation. It is unknown whether the bridge undergoes any type of routine inspections for structural stability, police said.

The STNG Wire contributed to this story