Saskatoon man calls out city after nephew breaks bones falling off hotel roof

The family of a 24-year-old man who fell off a Saskatoon hotel roof on July 1 is calling on the fire department and city to inspect the building.

In a letter to the Saskatoon Fire Department, Ron Kocsis said his 24-year-old nephew, Jared Kocsis, was at Winston’s English Pub & Grill for Canada Day celebrations when he came across an unattended ladder leading to the roof of building.

He climbed the ladder up three stories and stepped onto an exterior cornice of the Hotel Senator, which gave way beneath him.

He was found unconscious on the sidewalk by members of the Saskatoon Fire Department before being transferred to the ICU at the Royal University Hospital.

Ron Kocsis said his nephew has undergone hours of surgery for “severe, life-altering injuries.” Jared broke his femur, pelvis, hip bones, both wrists and his jaw in the fall.

“He has to go to plastic surgery on Monday to repair his eye socket damage to his face,” Kocsis said.

He said his nephew may have been over-served alcohol at a bar prior to the accident.

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“If an establishment has a license to serve patrons to the point where they are impaired, they have a strong responsibility to safeguard their premises from access to hazardous areas,” Kocsis said.

Concerned for pedestrians walking on the sidewalk along 21 Street and 3rd Avenue, Kocsis’s letter asks the fire department to inspect  the cornices and determine what repairs may be necessary.

“Several sections appear to be detaching, with one section of a four-foot section on one side having
dropped about 3 inches from its original position,” Kocsis said in his letter.

He provided the fire department with photos of the cornices where Jared fell, as well as around the building, saying a falling chunk could lead to a fatal accident if it hit a pedestrian.

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Kocsis said cornice pieces around the building are dislodged by about one to three inches in various spots.

“Immediate action is required to secure and inspect the crown/cornice molding to prevent another tragedy or possible death,” he said.

Saskatoon Fire told Global News the building isn’t a danger to the public and that the area Jared Kocsis was walking on was not designed to hold his weight as it was constructed of foam.

“The SFD personnel identified that a missing portion of roof top cornice is a decorative foam piece attached to the exterior wall with bolts and glue,” a statement from Saskatoon Fire said. “It is not a structural piece designed to sustain weight.”

The department said the other cornice pieces are not in danger of falling or hurting a pedestrian below.

Kocsis said the fire department closed the file too early.

“Do a thorough investigation on it,” he said.