79-year-old dies after ‘salvaged’ bleachers collapse at rodeo, Texas officials say
A 79-year-old woman injured in a bleacher collapse at a Texas rodeo has died, authorities said.
Kendall County EMS identified the victim as Vera Smith, KSAT reported. She had been in the hospital since the Aug. 31 incident, the outlet reported.
Her family said her liver shut down and her heart was straining, KABB reported.
In a tribute post on Facebook, a local resident described Smith as “one strong cookie” and “so kind.”
Shortly after 9 p.m. Aug. 31, a set of bleachers collapsed during the Kendall County Fair rodeo at the Kendall County Fairgrounds, Boerne city officials said in a Sept. 5 summary of the incident.
Eight people were hospitalized, with victims ranging from 7 to 79 years old, city officials said.
The bleachers were “an old structure that was salvaged,” and welding was still being done “up to the day before the event,” according to the city.
An Aug. 30 inspection of the fairgrounds by the Fire Marshal’s Office, triggered by a Carnivals and Fairs permit, included “carnival rides, food trucks, fire extinguishers, electrical layouts, exhibit halls, and exits for general safety,” city officials said.
The site visit did not include an inspection of any structures, including the bleachers, which would have occurred if an application for a building permit had been submitted, according to city officials.
No building permits have been issued for the fairgrounds since January 2023, officials said.
“In light of this incident, City staff will conduct a thorough review of our permitting and inspection processes to ensure that best practices are followed for future public events” officials said.
Boerne is about a 30-mile drive northwest from San Antonio.
