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Stanford sophomore Ben Hallock escaped with minor abrasions on his legs when a balcony inside a nightclub in Gwangju, South Korea collapsed Saturday that caused two deaths and injured 16 athletes.
Hallock, a member of the United States men’s national water polo team, was in town competing in the FINA World Championships. The nightclub was located near the athletes’ village. Teammate Johnny Hooper suffered a cut on his left hand that needed stitches. The men finished ninth at the tournament.
Kaleigh Gilchrist and Paige Hauschild, both members of the U.S. women’s national water polo team, were also injured. The pair celebrated a world championship hours before.
It’s not known whether other members of the USA water polo or swimming and diving teams were in attendance.
“This is an awful tragedy,” Christopher Ramsey, CEO of USA Water Polo, told reporters. “Players from our men’s and women’s teams were celebrating the women’s world championship victory when the collapse occurred at a public club. Our hearts go out to the victims of the crash and their families.”
Gilchrist sustained a deep wound on here left leg that required surgery at a Gwangju hospital, according to USA Water Polo Director of Communications Greg Mescall. Hauschild sustained lacerations on her right arm.
In a statement, FINA, the governing organization of international aquatics, said it was “carefully monitoring the situation and will activate all measures to ensure health care and assistance is provided whenever necessary.”
Several athletes were able to return to the athletes’ village after being treated.