Reba McEntire Rescued From Oklahoma Building After Getting Trapped When Staircase Collapse
Watch your step! Reba McIntire needed help from a fire department and a trusty ladder to escape from a building after the dilapidated staircase came crashing down.
One of country music’s most iconic singers was almost left stranded like a cat caught up in a tree! Reba McIntire in Atoka, Oklahoma, on Tuesday (Sept. 14), touring a historic building for a future project, per KXII News 12. Reba, 66, was on the second floor of the ancient building when the stairs collapsed, trapping her in the building with no way to get down. The local fire department had to be called, and they were able to evacuate her and others from the building. A video taken by KTEN news anchor Lisanne Anderson captured the rescue.
Close call for @reba in Atoka, Oklahoma Tuesday (9/14/21) Sure glad she and boyfriend Rex Linn are ok!
While touring an old building, a staircase collapsed. They were among seven people inside. Atoka’s finest came to the rescue.
No one hurt, just some bumps and bruises. pic.twitter.com/ppLhQOLDuA— Lisanne Anderson (@Lisanne2016_) September 15, 2021
“Close call for [Reba] in Atoka, Oklahoma Tuesday (9/14/21),” tweeted Anderson. “Sure, glad she and boyfriend Rex Linn are ok! While touring an old building, a staircase collapsed. They were among seven people inside. Atoka’s finest came to the rescue. No one hurt, just some bumps and bruises.” Coby Scherrill, who was touring the building along with Reba, told KXII that “the stairwell was weak — it seemed weak, but we did not realize how weak it was until several people had gone down it and then we heard the crash and saw the stairs fall.”
Travis Mullins, the City of Atoka’s Emergency Management Director, explained that the stairwell from the second story to the third story had collapsed and fell on the stairwell from the first to the second floor. This ultimately trapped people on whatever floor they were on at the time. Sara Jackson, the owner of the restaurant across the street from the ancient building, said she saw the fire trucks on the surveillance cameras. “[N]ext thing you know we see Reba climbing down the ladder. … I was like ‘oh lord Reba done got hurt, Reba’s done hurting,’” said Sara Jackson, the owner of the restaurant across the street from the ancient building. “[But] … EMS already checked on her, so, she’s fine, she’s fine.”
There were seven people – including Reba and her boyfriend – trapped in the building, according to TMZ, who also reports that one person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The building has been in Atoka for more than 100 years, and the stairs were reportedly already scheduled to be replaced. “It opened our eyes to see exactly just how unsturdy they was and when they did collapse, we see what little was holding them up,” said Director Mullins.