Shocking new footage has emerged of the moment a balcony came crashing down under dozens of Sydney school leavers partying at a beachfront rental.
About 40 teens were crammed onto a small balcony of the group’s getaway overlooking the ocean, in the seaside resort of Vincentia on the NSW south coast, when the wooden platform suddenly buckled shortly before midnight on Saturday.
In the video, shot in the middle of a heaving crowd of revellers, the teens can be seen jumping and dancing to loud music with hands raised in the air.
But their boisterous singing suddenly turned to terrified screams and panicked shouting when the wooden balcony gave way.
Partygoers can be heard swearing as the screen cartwheels and then goes black.
Footage of the chaotic aftermath showed partygoers rushing to the aid of their injured friends.
Four teens, one male and three females, were taken to hospital with leg and back injuries, while 10 others escaped with minor injuries.
Earlier on Sunday, the collapsed balcony remained cordoned off as party-goers inspected the damage and began cleaning up after a chaotic night.
Video shows the wild party in full swing before the balcony collapsed, leaving four teens in hospital
Most of the balcony railings remained intact with clothing still hung on them as the collapsed wooden platform leaned against the side of the property.
Shocked locals told Daily Mail Australia that they were relieved no one had been killed or seriously maimed in the horror collapse that upended the party and left the teens tumbling into a chaotic mass on the rentals backyard.
The group had initially been booked in to stay at the sprawling three-bedroom property for an end-of-year blowout as part of their ‘Schoolies’ celebrations, but many were leaving early on Sunday as their parents descended on the scene.
‘We could hear the music pumping and then all of a sudden all hell broke loose, one neighbour told Daily Mail Australia.
It was like "boom!” … you could hear it crashing down and the screaming - next thing you know there are sirens blaring and the whole scene it lit up.
‘It’s just lucky no one was seriously hurt. I don’t know who will have to pay for the damage.
I imagine they have liability insurance given it’s a rental, but who knows how that will play out.
A trio of teens staying at the property greeted Daily Mail Australia with sheepish grins as they went about cleaning up the house on Sunday morning following the wild bash.
‘We’re from western Sydney and have been down here unwinding after the end of school,’ one explained.
Footage of the chaotic aftermath shows partygoers rushing to the aid of their injured mates
The teens were still cleaning up the scene about at lunchtime on Sunday as their parents began to arrive to inspect the damage
About 40 teams were partying on their rentals balcony when it gave way about 11.30pm Saturday
‘I wouldn’t call last night a wild party but it had been a good one - right until the balcony broke.’
They were soon shuffled back inside by their parents, who were helping them handle the fallout from the shocking incident.
Outside, the property’s beachfront lawn was littered with beer bottles from the night before, as a group of teens were still surveying the extensive damage and sharing stories about the collapse at lunch time, even as others packed their bags and headed off.
Neighbours said the collection of recently graduated schoolkids had been ‘polite’ and ‘respectful’ throughout their stay and had even invited the entire street to their party.
Known as ‘Seaside Reflections’, the home is located on Elizabeth Drive in Vincentia, along a stretch of road filled with vacation rentals, just south of Huskisson.
As some kids began to leave on Sunday, others stayed and shared stories about the collapse
An online listing notes the ‘split-level beachfront home overlooking Collingwood Beach’ offers ‘sun, surf and water views’ and comfortably sleeps eight people for $280 a night.
It boasts that the property offers spectacular views of Jervis Bay and the master bedroom has a private balcony with stair access to the backyard/beach.
Many of the properties directly adjacent to the home were still sitting vacant on the weekend, with locals noting the busy tourist season does not usually kick into gear until closer to Christmas.
Longtime resident Ben McKenzie, who lives just across the road, said he had helped the teens inspect the damage on Sunday morning, and described the group as ‘a great bunch of kids’.
‘Most of the homes in the street are still empty at this time of year, but they still went door to door and let everyone know that they would be having a party,’ he said.
‘They didn’t kick off until later in the night because I think they had all gone out to dinner at the pub.
‘They let everyone know they would be playing some music and invited everyone to come have a drink if they wanted to – it’s certainly not like they were carrying on or partying from six o’clock or anything.
A group of teens survey the damage after their wild house party ended in disaster at the weekend
‘They said they’d have the music off by midnight but they didn’t even get the chance to keep going that long because by about 11.30pm, when they were all out on the balcony, the bloody thing collapsed.
Mr McKenzie said he felt sorry for them and they appeared to be a great group of kids celebrating the end of their school years.
It must have been a shock. I especially feel for the young ones who got injured, he said.
They told me one of them had broken their ankle, another had dislocated their shoulder and a couple of others were left with abrasions.’
Another neighbour, three doors up, was not aware of the incident when approached by Daily Mail Australia as they had brunch on their deck on Sunday, saying the music had not been loud enough to rouse them from their sleep.
They said they were glad no one was seriously harmed, but questioned whether the property’s owners were aware their place would be hosting an end-of-year bash for more than 40 teens.
One of the partygoers was spotted limping around the home as parents travelled to and from the rental on Sunday morning and helped their children pack.
About 11.30pm on Saturday 30 November 2024, emergency services were called to a house on Elizabeth Drive at Vincentia, following reports of a balcony collapse, a spokesperson for NSW Police said.
Officers from South Coast Police District were told approximately 40 people – all aged in their teens - were on the balcony when it collapsed.
Four people – three females and one male - were injured and were treated at the scene by Ambulance Paramedics for minor injuries and taken to hospital for further treatment.