Fire Escape Collapse Injuries 3 At Lake Mohawk Club

Three men were hospitalized after a large fire escape staircase they were standing on at the Lake Mohawk Country Club collapsed and dropped them 10 feet to the ground.

Sparta Police Sgt. John-Paul Beebe said the incident happened just after 1 p.m. The men, Salvatore Perreca, 61, and his son, Kiel Perreca, 27, both of Denville, and son-in-law, Daniel Komoruwski, 30, of Hackettstown, were at the country club for a birthday party and stepped on to the staircase for a breath of fresh air, Beebe said.

Beebe said a 6-foot portion of the staircase, which is made of wood and metal, collapsed. The men fell into a garden bed.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, Beebe said, but Salvatore Perreca and his son were transported to the hospital by two separate Atlantic Health medevac helicopters because of possible leg fractures and complaints of neck and back pain. Komoruwski was transported by ambulance to Morristown Medical Center.

Police barricaded the damaged staircase and will continue to investigate the incident.