Two NY men made seemingly harmless decision to sit in a hammock but it would quickly lead to their deaths

In 1967, two men would lose their lives while attending a rooftop party in New York. Jim Stephens and Jeff McGrath were both successful men with plenty of people who loved them, but one freak accident involving a hammock and a chimney would ultimately cut their lives short.

Both men had enlisted in the army in their younger days but had since built a regular life in New York, marrying and starting careers before the tragedy struck. James “Jim” Stephens worked as a radio commercial announcer and had found a great deal of success in lending his voice to numerous stations. Meanwhile, Jefferson McGrath worked as a cope supervisor at an advertising agency. 

The Hammock incident

One night in May, 1967, the two men would end up back at Stephen’s fourth floor apartment after the “Christmas in May” party which was thrown by the United Recording Company. Stephen’s apartment had a patio which is where the two were sitting, they were also accompanied by Priscilla Tedesco and Madeline Nieland, two secretaries from New York-based advertising agency, Benton & Bowles.

Stephens, McGrath, and Nieland had all been sitting on a hammock which was fastened to a chimney on the patio while Tedesco was off to the side, rocking the hammock as per sadendings.blog. The carefree evening quickly turned horrific however as the 15ft chimney with which the hammock was fastened to collapsed onto the four sitting directly underneath it.

The group were trapped beneath the rubble with Tedesco managing to claw her way out. Nieland also survived the ordeal although she was buried deeper underneath the bricks and mortar. Recounting the freak accident from hospital a few days later she told reporters how “I could hear him [McGrath] breathing in my ear. I told him to save his energy and take shorter breaths.”

What happened to Stephens and McGrath?

While neighbours and a night watchman were able to free the two women in time, it was too late for Stephens and McGrath. The two were eventually pulled out from underneath what was estimated to be 7,500 pounds of bricks but they were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

This tragic tale just goes to show how quickly things can take a deadly turn. Unfortunately there was little these men could have done to predict or prevent their deaths. Buildings Commissioner Charles G. Moerdler determined that the chimney had been lacking a heavy iron brace, which would have been crucial for maintaining the structure. The brace had been removed for unknown reasons.