Hotel Roof Collapse Raises Safety ConcernsHotel Roof Collapse Raises Safety Concerns The family of a 24-year-old man who fell from a Saskatoon hotel roof is calling for an investigation into the incident and demanding that the building be inspected for safety hazards. Jared Kocsis climbed an unattended ladder to the roof of the Hotel Senator on Canada Day, where he fell through a collapsed cornice. He sustained serious injuries and remains in the intensive care unit. Kocsis’s family believes the hotel should be held accountable for leaving the ladder unattended and failing to maintain the roof’s safety. They have provided the Saskatoon Fire Department with photos of the damaged cornice, which they say shows loose and crumbling sections that pose a danger to pedestrians. The fire department initially determined that the building does not pose a risk to the public, but Kocsis’s family disputes this, claiming that the foam rubber surface where Jared fell was not designed to support weight and could collapse under the weight of a pedestrian. They are urging the fire department and the city to conduct a thorough inspection of the building to ensure that it meets safety standards and to prevent similar incidents in the future. The family also highlights the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and the responsibility of establishments serving alcohol to ensure the safety of their patrons. They believe that the bar where Jared was drinking may have contributed to the accident. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of building safety and the need for regular inspections to identify and mitigate potential hazards. It also raises questions about the liability of establishments that serve alcohol and the responsibility they have to protect their patrons from harm.
The family of a 24-year-old man who fell from a Saskatoon hotel roof on July 1 is calling on firefighters and the city to inspect the building.
Ron Kocsis wrote in a letter to the Saskatoon Fire Department that his 24-year-old cousin, Jared Kocsis, was at Winston’s English Pub & Grill for Canada Day festivities when he came across an unattended ladder leading to the roof of a building.
He climbed the ladder three floors up and stepped onto a cornice of the Hotel Senator, which collapsed beneath him.
He was found unconscious on the sidewalk by members of the Saskatoon Fire Department and was taken to the intensive care unit of Royal University Hospital.
Ron Kocsis said his nephew underwent hours of surgery for “serious, life-changing injuries.” Jared broke his femur, pelvis, hip bones, both wrists and his jaw in the fall.
“He has to have plastic surgery on Monday to repair the damage to his eye socket,” Kocsis said.
He said his nephew may have been drinking too much alcohol at a bar before the accident.
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“If an establishment is licensed to serve customers to the point that they are intoxicated, then they have a strong responsibility to protect their premises from access to dangerous areas,” Kocsis said.
Kocsis is concerned about pedestrians walking on the sidewalk along 21st Street and 3rd Avenue and asks the fire department in his letter to inspect the roof edges and determine what repairs are needed.
“Several sections appear to be coming loose, with one four-foot long section coming off to one side
“The ground has dropped approximately 3 inches from its original position,” Kocsis said in his letter.
He gave the fire department photos of the eaves where Jared fell, and the area around the building, saying a falling piece could be fatal if it struck a pedestrian.
According to Kocsis, the cornice parts around the building have become loose in several places by approximately 2.5 to 7.5 centimeters.
“Immediate action is required to secure and inspect the cornice to prevent another tragedy or possible loss of life,” he said.
The Saskatoon Fire Department told Global News that the building does not pose a danger to the public and that the surface Jared Kocsis was walking on was not designed to support his weight because it was made of foam rubber.
“SFD personnel determined that a missing portion of the eaves is a decorative piece of foam that is bolted and glued to the exterior wall,” a statement from Saskatoon Fire said. “It is not a structural piece designed to support weight.”
According to the department, there is no risk of the remaining cornice sections falling down or of a pedestrian being injured underneath.
According to Kocsis, the fire brigade closed the file too early.
“Do a thorough investigation into it,” he said.
