NEED TO KNOW
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An 8-year-old boy is recovering after he was struck during a partial roof collapse at an elementary school in Hanford, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 10
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Another student was also struck, but both children were released from the hospital hours after the incident, according to local media reports
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The school will be closed for repairs until the beginning of December, with students learning remotely until then, per KABC
An 8-year-old boy is speaking out after he was struck during a partial roof collapse while he waited to be picked up by his dad at an elementary school in south-central California.
On Monday, Nov. 10, a section of ceiling stucco that was part of the outdoor amphitheater of Washington Elementary School in Hanford came down, striking two students, ABC affiliate KABC, The Hanford Sentinel and NBC affiliate KSEE reported.
District officials said the incident happened around 2:30 p.m. local time and the ceiling stucco collapsed without warning, per KSEE.
“All I remember is when I was going out from school, the roof fell on me,” James Harrah, 8, told KABC of the scary incident in a joint interview with his parents, Diana and Shawn Harrah.
The little boy suffered a concussion, broke one of his clavicle bones and had a black eye, according to the outlet.
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Washington Elementary School in Hanford, Calif.
“As he was walking by, the whole thing kind of collapsed on him,” Diana told the outlet about the partial collapse of the outdoor roof. “It sounded like the 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.”
After James and another student were hit, school staff immediately came to assist and first responders arrived on scene within minutes, according to the Sentinel and a statement from the superintendent.
Both were taken to the hospital following the incident, per KABC.
“Both students were transported to the hospital for further evaluation and, thankfully, were released later that evening,” Joy Gabler, the superintendent of Hanford Elementary School District, told the Sentinel.
Shawn had arrived at the school to pick up his son, and was able to support James immediately after the ordeal. Then he called his wife, according to KABC.
“I was able to get there, check on him, talk to him and let him know I was there,” Shawn told the outlet. “And I got a hold of her as quickly as I could.”
Diana said that her “heart dropped” when she learned about the incident, and she “raced” to her son’s side. “I was so scared,” she said.
“We are incredibly thankful that certain things happened, part of the wall, the barrier that took part of the weight and his backpack,” Diana continued to the outlet. “His books were bent in half, and they were pretty thick. So I feel he had an armor on him with his backpack.”
By the next day, the school district had arranged for an architect and engineers to inspect the structure. The campus will be closed, with students learning remotely, until Dec. 1, KABC reported.
“The District takes the safety of our students and staff very seriously,” Gabler told the Sentinel in a statement.
“We are grateful for the quick action of Washington Staff and local emergency services,” she continued, in part, “We look forward to welcoming our students back on campus at the start of December.”
The Hanford Elementary School District and the Harrah family did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
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Even as he recovers at home, James said he’s excited to see his friends again.
“I think they might be impressed because a roof fell on me,” the 8-year-old told KABC.
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