Five persons were injured Sunday during a freak accident at Sandals Cay off the Sandals Royal Caribbean hotel in Montego Bay.

Confirming the incident, Sandals Resorts International's group director of communications, Rachel McLarty, said that a fantastic Jetblue airlines-hosted 'Trillis' all-white party for journalists, travel agents and prize winners was in swing when a rig attached to the lighting on the stage fell, injuring five guests.

"There was a downpour of rain earlier, which seemed to have softened the ground, eroding the sand that supported the rig," she explained. A rig is the support or framing of a stage. Depending on the size of the stage the rig could weigh several pounds.

Five admitted and treated

She said the five were taken to the MoBay Hope Medical Centre in Rose Hall where four of them were treated and discharged, while a male was admitted. He has since been released.

According to the Sandals communications director, she was still thankful, as the group of over 140 people still had a fantastic time in Jamaica, leaving the island with fond memories.

She said the company's CEO Adam Stewart, who was on the scene, spent time with the injured at the hospital.

A guest at the event spoke of the unfortunate incident to The Gleaner, he said, "People were dancing on the sand, near the stage, no one was near the rig, and suddenly it just fell. It was so fast, yet it felt like slow motion. I saw it falling and was about to hold it, but it just fell on the people."

Quick action

The eyewitness praised the quick action of one of the supervisors at the hotel.

"He is hero, he saved the day, because he never once thought about himself while trying to save the people visiting his property."