A child was swiftly taken to the hospital this week after a section of his school’s ceiling collapsed on him. The incident occurred on Monday, November 10 at George Washington Elementary School in Hanford, California. Emergency services responded promptly to the roof collapse, with police, firefighters, and an ambulance arriving on the scene. Another child was also transported to the hospital due to injuries sustained from the incident, but both children were discharged on the same day.
The 8-year-old boy, James Harrah, was waiting to be picked up when the ceiling stucco from the school’s outdoor amphitheater suddenly gave way. He described the frightening moment, saying, “All I remember is when I was going out from school, the roof fell on me.” James suffered injuries that required his arm to be in a sling and left him with bruising.
According to his mother, Diana Harrah, the roof collapsed as James was walking past the amphitheater. She recounted, “It sounded like one piece landed on top of his head and that knocked him over, and then another piece landed on top of him after he fell.” Upon receiving the news, Diana rushed to the school out of fear and concern.
The Harrah family expressed their terror over the incident. James’s father, Shawn, arrived at the scene to comfort his son and communicate with him. The family was deeply shaken by the event, with Shawn contacting Diana as quickly as possible.
In response to the incident, Hanford Elementary School District officials decided to suspend in-person classes until at least December 1, shifting to remote learning for the time being. The officials praised the swift response of the school staff and local emergency services, opting to temporarily close the campus and implement emergency learning protocols.
District officials stated that they anticipate resuming on-campus classes at the beginning of December and are eager to welcome back the students. James expressed his eagerness to reunite with his friends in person, jokingly mentioning, “I think they might be impressed because a roof fell on me.”
