Pier collapses under teens headed for prom in Wisconsin

A Wisconsin prom photo has become memorable for all the wrong reasons after the dock a group of high school students were using for a prom photo collapsed, sending the teens plunging into the water below. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.

Teens at one Wisconsin high school made a big splash at their prom -- a wooden pier collapsed during  a photo shoot, sending them into a lake.

"It's completely unexpected. It doesn't even happen on TV, and all of a sudden here it is happening to us," Matt Timm, a student from Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wis., told WISN-TV. "I heard, like, one crack, and then the whole thing collapsed from under us."

The teens had gathered at Lac La Belle, a 1,154-acre lake in southeastern Wisconsin, for a photo session before the big dance, according to WISN-TV in Milwaukee, Wis.


“The person behind was like, 'Everyone on, get on’,” junior Jacqueline Rosch told WISN-TV. 

What Rosch and other couples didn’t expect was complete collapse of the wooden pier. Soaking wet, the teens were pulled from the water without any injuries, according to WISN-TV.

Anne Mccormack / Courtesy WISN TV Milwaukee

“It was akin to [watching] a car accident,” Kathy McCormack, a mother who was there photographing her daughter, told ABC News. "You heard the screams coming off the dock and it was like they were falling one after the other in slow motion into the lake.”

With a little hustle and a lot of help from fans, clothes dryers and hair dryers, the teens made it to prom with a memorable story to share.

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Discuss this post

I have said it before and I'll say it again "Peer pressure on our kids is really a problem"!!!

  • 22 votes
Reply#1 - Thu May 10, 2012 7:01 PM EDT

Read a past article..some of those gowns the girls wear cost like $1K plus... not even water proof.

  • 2 votes
#1.1 - Thu May 10, 2012 11:48 PM EDT

"It's completely unexpected. It doesn't even happen on TV,

I can't wait for this emmy-award winning piece of crap to get out in the real world. "It doesn't even happen on TV" - Get a life kid, the world isn't going to be perfect just for you!

some of those gowns the girls wear cost like $1K plus... not even water proof.

Perhaps they should've thought about staying away from the water then. What idiot decides to risk a $1k dress over-top water or even near it with the possibility of falling in? Eh - I have no sympathy.

  • 2 votes
#1.2 - Fri May 11, 2012 8:01 AM EDT

$1000 for a prom dress? Throw the parents in the water too.

  • 6 votes
#1.3 - Fri May 11, 2012 8:42 AM EDT

I'm guessing the builder of the peir feels like a failure now.

  • 1 vote
#1.4 - Fri May 11, 2012 10:38 AM EDT

Thank you, WilliamOfRites, for my first chuckle of the day!

I have to admit that when I read the title of this article, I was envisioning all kinds of carnage, and I believe that was the intent of the author. Who would have opened the article if it said, "Small group of prom-goers in way too expensive clothes falls 1 1/2 feet into shallow water when small wooden pier they were over-crowding breaks"

Film at 11.

  • 4 votes
#1.5 - Fri May 11, 2012 11:46 AM EDT

I have to admit that when I read the title of this article, I was envisioning all kinds of carnage, and I believe that was the intent of the author. Who would have opened the article if it said, "Small group of prom-goers in way too expensive clothes falls 1 1/2 feet into shallow water when small wooden pier they were over-crowding breaks"

Film at 11.

Exactly.

Knowing MSNBC, soon there'll be a headline like "OWS Accross The Country Protest Tragic Wales Wisconsin Pier Collapse" and "Obama's Stance On Piers Evolves...Again."

Give it time.

  • 3 votes
#1.6 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:20 PM EDT

Too funny.

    #1.7 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:49 PM EDT

    Better gets those girls out of those dresses STAT before they catch a cold. This way the guys don't even have to wait until after the prom.

    • 1 vote
    #1.8 - Fri May 11, 2012 2:01 PM EDT
    Reply

    At least they caught a good picture before the pier gave way. And no one got hurt. I hope they all still have a great time at the prom.

    • 11 votes
    Reply#2 - Thu May 10, 2012 7:08 PM EDT

    No one was hurt, so it's hilarious!

    • 12 votes
    Reply#3 - Thu May 10, 2012 7:43 PM EDT

    I'm still laughing at the name of the town.. OCONOMOWOC, Wis

    • 4 votes
    Reply#4 - Thu May 10, 2012 7:51 PM EDT

    unknown

    If you think reading it is funny, you should hear people try to pronounce it. That's always good for a laugh too.

    Have a good one.

    • 6 votes
    #4.1 - Thu May 10, 2012 8:12 PM EDT

    Hey,be nice I live in Oconomowoc, yeah it's in Waukesha county so you can get your jollies from that too from that too.

      #4.2 - Fri May 11, 2012 8:35 AM EDT

      rdh

      I live in northeast Wi. I have friends from the flatlands that butcher a lot of the names. It's nothing personal, but hearing them makes me chuckle. I'm sure you would too. Actually, I live just up the road from a county park called "Wequiock Falls". Try saying that three times fast.

        #4.3 - Fri May 11, 2012 10:00 AM EDT

        un, you're easily amused.

          #4.4 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:50 PM EDT
          Reply

          Wow, this is just being covered now? I saw a picture of this as a "Fail" picture, posted on Chinese social sights last week.

          • 2 votes
          Reply#5 - Thu May 10, 2012 7:54 PM EDT

          Oooooah....thooooase keeeads gaht mighty wet, dontchya knooooaw!

          • 3 votes
          Reply#6 - Thu May 10, 2012 11:33 PM EDT

          That would be the Minnesota accent. Get your stereotypes correct. I ski on that lake from time to time, very nice houses in that area

          • 2 votes
          #6.1 - Fri May 11, 2012 11:18 AM EDT

          That would be the Minnesota accent. Get your stereotypes correct.

          Right, because the Wiscaaaaaahnson accent is sooooooah different! ;) :P

          • 2 votes
          #6.2 - Fri May 11, 2012 11:36 AM EDT

          Uff da. Beeeeeeing a Minnnnneeeeeeeapolitan, may i soooggest that theeeeeeeeeeere are some niiiiiiiiiiyeeeeeeeeeeeeeese howwwwwwwwwwwwses ooooooooooover heeeeeeeeeeere tooooo, don'tcha know.

          freakin' idiots.

            #6.3 - Fri May 11, 2012 11:37 AM EDT

            Tundraphile - is that really how you talk - drawing out the words like that???? Seriously. Depending on where you grew up in Minnesota, the accent is not as "thick" nor "drawn out". Most people know this. Having grown up in Minnesota, I never had the so-called "accent". Yes, Wisconsinites do have a slightly different "accent" than those from Minnesota. The dresses costing $1k - it's all relative to the times. Our prom dresses were anywhere between $150-300 back in the 80's and not one girl had the exact same dress - big fashion faux pas. The kids are alright, they have a story to tell years from now, and they still had a great prom!

            • 1 vote
            #6.4 - Sat May 12, 2012 12:02 AM EDT
            Reply

            I'm glad no one was hurt and that everyone had a good time at the prom with a great story to tell. I'm guessing none of them are going to major in engineering.

            • 3 votes
            Reply#7 - Thu May 10, 2012 11:50 PM EDT

            Judging by the TV comment the one kid stated, I sure as hell hope not lol.

            • 2 votes
            #7.1 - Fri May 11, 2012 8:03 AM EDT
            Reply

            New careers may be launched from this; Frogmen for Navy , Alaska fisherman on boats, Laundry Dryer services, Pier builders, dock workers. The list goes on. They will never forget this prom of theirs. Ever.

            • 3 votes
            Reply#8 - Fri May 11, 2012 1:37 AM EDT

            wonder if piers morgan is going to do a bit...

            • 2 votes
            Reply#9 - Fri May 11, 2012 2:09 AM EDT

            They were all extremely lucky. The last case I heard of where an overloaded pier collapsed, a woman who used to work for the same company as my husband was literally cut in half. Several others experienced severe injuries also. Glad that all of those kids had a much different outcome.

            • 1 vote
            Reply#10 - Fri May 11, 2012 3:36 AM EDT

            Way to make this funny incident a personal traumatizing event. I doubt your story included a small wooden pier on a country lake. Keep the doom and gloom to yourself. Or to relate to your world of anecdotes: I once knew a girl who was friends with my cousin who commented on a funny story and her fingers swelled and exploded into bloody stumps. Praise be, it doesn't happen to you. Do shut up, Deb.

            • 3 votes
            #10.1 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:20 PM EDT
            Reply

            ....................MADE IN CHINA

              Reply#11 - Fri May 11, 2012 4:29 AM EDT

              Its nice to see a happy ending for a change, good luck to you all!

              • 1 vote
              Reply#12 - Fri May 11, 2012 6:34 AM EDT

              Brings new meaning to the phrase "Off like a prom dress."

              • 1 vote
              Reply#13 - Fri May 11, 2012 6:58 AM EDT
              SangoRungoDeleted

              As a dad you are telling me that in sixteen years im going to have to pay for a prom dress that can be up to 1k a pop holy batman i need to get a third job and i got two girls crap then there's weddings kill me now

              • 2 votes
              Reply#15 - Fri May 11, 2012 9:46 AM EDT

              two words steven...... consignment shop.

                #15.1 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:29 PM EDT

                My prom dress was 250 and beautiful and I paid for it myself. Don't worry Steven. It will all turn out ok :)

                • 1 vote
                #15.2 - Fri May 11, 2012 2:24 PM EDT

                My wedding dress was 350.00 and because it's not a traditional wedding dress (I also wore it to the military ball) hopefully my daughter will be able to wear it to prom.

                My daughter and her BF had to have formal dresses for their Valentine's Day dance (in the 8th grade wtf?) I went to the local consignment shop and was able to buy them each a gorgeous formal for 20 dollars each took them to the local tailor and had them fitted for another 20.00 so for a total of 80.00 I was able to send both girls to the dance.

                For my prom I went to the local good will and paid 6.00 for a 20s era ball gown (I was one of the weird kids lol)

                  #15.3 - Sat May 12, 2012 12:47 PM EDT
                  Reply

                  Kudos to the commenters on this article for not turning this into a Geroge W Bush/wall street fat cat problem.

                  Funny story though!

                  • 1 vote
                  Reply#16 - Fri May 11, 2012 10:00 AM EDT

                  Kudos to the commenters on this article for not turning this into a Geroge W Bush/wall street fat cat problem.

                  Come to think of it, that pier collapsing must be Bush's fault.

                  (sorry)

                    #16.1 - Fri May 11, 2012 11:39 AM EDT
                    Reply

                    just think in 20 yrs you can have the who was on the pier poll.

                      Reply#17 - Fri May 11, 2012 10:37 AM EDT

                      Americas obesity epidemic rears its ugly head!

                        Reply#18 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:02 PM EDT

                        I know you're just goofing around, those teenage kids look pretty skinny to me, it was just the number of skinny teens that caused the problem.

                        Glad no one was hurt, and the prom wasn't ruined for them.

                        • 2 votes
                        #18.1 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:15 PM EDT
                        Reply

                        Must have been one of those shovel ready jobs from 2009 that built that pier. Oh wait a minute, there were no jobs created from the stimulus plan of 2009. My bad.

                        There's your political comment... completely off topic but I couldn't resist. :)

                          Reply#19 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:07 PM EDT

                          I get a kick out of the 'gentlemen date's' just standing there watching as a Dad(?), who was probably all the way over to where the picture's were being taken from, come's to help. And they have yet to make a gesture of movement that look's anything like they have even had a thought to help, must be the bottom of that class. What a sorry lot they are, but hey just ask their proud mothers, if someone had asked for help they would certainly have, because after all, they're all good boy's, they just can't think for themselve's, that's all.

                            Reply#20 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:32 PM EDT

                            I think I saw this same thing on America's Funniest Home Videos.

                              Reply#21 - Fri May 11, 2012 12:34 PM EDT

                              I think some of them hoes need to go on Jenny Craig.

                                Reply#22 - Fri May 11, 2012 1:07 PM EDT

                                I think some of those dumbass dudes need to lay off the steroids, see how stupid that sounded too favorite?

                                  #22.1 - Sat May 12, 2012 12:48 PM EDT
                                  Reply

                                  Its all due to shoddy work contractors due in order to secure the wallet before the safety of others. These hackers that are growing by leaps and bounds MUST be prosecuted to the fullest with jail time! What does it cost to use appropriate materials VS. not in order to have safe structures? Not much I know, sue the business out of the hacking contractor!!! Pull their license so that they do not harm others again...

                                  Butcher CARPENTERS!!!!

                                    Reply#23 - Fri May 11, 2012 1:28 PM EDT

                                    The $1,000 for a prom dress is only for the fat ones that require a lot of material, which by the way, is why the pier collapsed. Also, to cover the sandwiches while being fitted.

                                    • 2 votes
                                    Reply#24 - Fri May 11, 2012 2:13 PM EDT

                                    Did someone not get invited to prom when they were young? Still bitter?

                                    • 4 votes
                                    #24.1 - Fri May 11, 2012 2:26 PM EDT

                                    I'm surprised you can type with a sandwich in each hand!!

                                    • 2 votes
                                    #24.2 - Fri May 11, 2012 2:28 PM EDT

                                    I'm surprised you can type with a sandwich in each hand!!

                                    While the REAL talent lies with you being able to type with your head up your a$$.

                                    • 2 votes
                                    #24.3 - Fri May 11, 2012 4:43 PM EDT

                                    $1,000 for a high school prom dress is a little much but it has nothing to do with their size. Do you make your own clothes or something?

                                      #24.4 - Fri May 11, 2012 6:55 PM EDT
                                      Reply

                                      Hahahahahahah

                                        Reply#25 - Mon May 14, 2012 10:21 AM EDT
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