Two dead in Maccabiah Games accident
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from July 1997.
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All the injured were reportedly members of the Australian team. Ms. Milner and her friend Bianca Katz, also 16, trained for two years to qualify for Australia's junior netball team in the 15th Maccabiah, a quadrennial event which this year drew some 5,000 Jewish athletes to Israel. She suffered a minor knee sprain and cuts; Bianca wasn't so lucky - she has a broken leg and hip.
The bridge, a temporary structure festooned with Israeli flags, collapsed as about 100 of the Australian delegation's 380 members were walking across it toward Ramat Gan stadium, where some 45,000 spectators awaited the traditional athletes' procession.
The Australians were the first to cross. The 15-meter (yard)-long long, five-meter wide bridge was built three weeks ago for the ceremony. It was made of wooden planks held up by green aluminum support beams.
"We heard a crack and a second crack and all of a sudden the bridge collapsed," said Australian team manager Harry Purcell. "People were falling on top of each other." The Yarkon at the site of the collapse is shallow. The steep, muddy banks forced rescue workers to use ropes to descend to the waterside.
For long minutes, dozens struggled to get out of the waters, some entangled in twisted aluminum beams. Many victims linked arms and formed a human chain to pull each other out, which reportedly caused numerous broken arms and ankles.
About 20 ambulances rushed to the scene as helicopters hovered overhead and divers searched the river for victims caught beneath the bridge. Green hats worn by some of the Australians washed up on the muddy river banks. Police ruled out sabotage.
In a controversial decision, organizers decided to proceed with the opening ceremonies even as the search for victims continued. The result was laser shows and fireworks flashing above the disaster scene, drawing anger from some of the Australians.
"I am quite outraged, shocked and distressed at the lack of sensitivity," said Isi Liebler of Melbourne, the former head of the Jewish community of Australia and the current chairman of the governing board of World Jewish Congress. Later, the event's organizers postponed Tuesday's games until Wednesday.
The Maccabiah Games, which are to include competition in 36 sports from lawn bowling to ice hockey, were held under the banner of "100 years of Zionism." Athletes playing hockey for the Canadian team included former National Hockey League players Brian Wilkes of the Los Angeles Kings and Stuart Marston of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
At the ceremony, U.S. Olympic gold medalist Kerri Strug, who is a guest of honor at the games, carried an Olympic-style torch into the stadium, handing it to Israeli basketball legend Mickey Berkowitz.
Ms. Milner said she was glad the ceremony proceeded as planned but sorry she wasn't there.
"It's very disappointing. We trained so long for this," she said. "We had a really good chance of winning."
