If the cause of death could have been multiple things, and we dont have enough evidence to say definitely what it was, we dont list possible causes.. Thats what saved me. The Dubai billionaires $120 million land purchase also will be used to pay families of victims and property owners. Was any of that shared with the rest of residents? I lived there by myself. She convinced him to have a beer at the dining room table. I was only thinking of getting out. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Firefighters on Friday declared the end of their search for bodies at the site of a collapsed Florida condo building, concluding a month of painstaking work removing . It's not like her, and it's not like me, and when I woke up at 5:30, I understood why." Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She hasn't slept in a bed since the collapse a week ago. They chose to live in Champlain Towers South. "We cannot say what is the reason for that from the satellite images but we can say there was movement here.". WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp Raysa Rodriguez recounts a harrowing escape from her unit at the collapsed Surfside condominium, and . But I'll - I know I can get myself back up on my feet. "While we're running, we're thinking, we don't know what's going on. It's still unclear what caused the condominium, which has withstood decades of hurricanes, to partially collapse. Reach him at JDelgado@gannett.com. ", "I'm very hopeful because we have the best team in the world. The collapsed condo was about to begin . Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers search through the rubble for survivors after a condo building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, on June 24, 2021. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. First published on July 14, 2021 / 2:21 PM. But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. I mean, I know that sounds silly, but that's all I want, my cat back. Aguero, his wife and two children, were visiting South Florida from New Jersey. I thought a bomb - I mean, that was my first - when I saw that building missing, I mean, I was like, I have to get out of here. Market data provided by Factset. And my mom decided to stay later at her event, my sister decided to come back home late," he said. The New Jersey couple were vacationing with their two children in southern Florida, staying on the 11th floor of the oceanfront Champlain Towers South condominium in a unit owned by their parents. Meanwhile, another 120 people have been accounted for, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. I can't imagine. That is what they said, OK? The final missing person in the condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida has been recovered and identified, according to the Miami-Dade County mayor. ", She made her way to a nearby stairwell and tried to exit on the pool deck, but the door was jammed. Most people who have contacted his nonprofit for help lived in the part that is still standing but assume their homes and anything inside are a complete loss. The flooded garage was located underneath the building's pool. And in the pool area, you just see everything just sunk down below, underneath. A 15-year-old boy who miraculously survived the Miami condo collapse was sitting in his bedroom next to his mother when the building gave way and she was killed, according to a lawsuit filed by . "I looked to my left and half of the apartment is gone, look forward and the elevator shaft is there and there's no elevator, it's just two holes," Aguero told NBC South Florida. "There was no . Those are our neighbors. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. "We were just tremendously lucky.". But subsidence, or the gradual sinking of land, likely would not on its own cause a building to collapse, according to Wdowinski, whose expertise is in space geodesy, natural hazards and sea level rise. Can you tell us what happened? These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Mysterious Cases of Men Found Dead After Leaving NYC Gay Bars Ruled Homicides: ME. "That's kind of what's hard.". Since the collapse, Balboa said he has replayed that moment in his mind many times, wondering what he could have done differently to save more people, he told CNN. GARCIA-NAVARRO: There's been a lot of news coming out about why this might have happened. ALVAREZ: I can't imagine. And 156 people are still unaccounted for. Surfside condo collapse:Town leaders fuming at obstacles to investigation, aim to sue county, From March:Florida judge approves $83 million settlement for property loss in Surfside condo collapse. I want major answers. About the . (AP), LIVE UPDATES: SURFSIDE CONDO BUILDING COLLAPSE. The images that I saw looks like some place that had a bomb, Figueiredo said. July 5, 2021 4 . But I am homeless right now. I - and I just want my cat back. But, The June 24 collapse killed 97 people 96 bodies were pulled from the debris and one died at a hospital after being removed and. I won't leave. In May:DeSantis signs condo reform bill a response to Surfside building collapse into law. An investigation by USA Today found that at least nine of the 98 people killed in the tragedy initially survived the June 24 collapse, including one woman who was possibly still alive under the rubble 10 hours later. "We are working with the Consulates of various countries in the Western Hemisphere to help secure travel visas for family members who need to travel to the U.S.," Rubio wrote in a post on his official Twitter account on Thursday evening. Survivors of Surfside condo collapse speak out 03:45 The identification brings the total death toll to. Despite a search and rescue effort that went on for weeks, no signs of life were found past the morning of the collapse on June 24. Their condo in Surfside had collapsed, and they had just narrowly survived. I mean, did you have any idea that the building was unsound? One provision stipulates that condos taller than three stories must be inspected every ten years. The building's shocking anddevastating collapselast month killed at least 97 people inside but the Nirs managed to get out alive. The remains belonged to Estelle Hedaya, 54, according to a statement from the Miami-Dade Police. Ryan Logan, the American Red Cross' regional disaster officer for south Florida, said the organization has been helping about 18 families, and some of them have been looking for ways they can help other victims. Nobody had been found alive since immediately after the Florida building crumbled almost two weeks ago, killing at least 54. So far, they have rescued 35 people who were trapped in the building and two others from beneath the rubble, according to Jadallah. And it was just a lot - what looked like smoke, which must've been dust. "Panic starts to set in, like we need to really run, because I don't know if the rest of it is coming down. "It could have been a very different thing," Janette Aguero said, her voice wavering with emotion. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Deven Gonzalez, left, and her volleyball teammate Liyah Deveaux. That was a very difficult night, Scheinhaus said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Both had been flagged in a 2018 engineering report noting the need for extensive and costly repairs to fix systemic issues with the Champlain Towers South. A total of 98 people died when the building partially collapsed on June 24, 2021. I look and the ceilings down, the concrete, the cement," Rosenthaltold NBC South Florida. And I feel like fate really God really came and saved us," he said. The remaining portion of the structure was demolished on July 4, and search efforts shifted into recovery mode. He and his wife got the kids from their beds and ran for their lives. As the search for survivors enters its fifth day, those who escaped are recounting harrowing tales of survival after last week's condo collapse in Surfside.At least 10 people have been confirmed . The second body was pulled out a short while later. Some of the medical examiners reports reviewed by the newspaper showed injuries such as broken legs, possible fractures or small cuts that wouldnt have resulted in immediate death, the report said. And again, I'm staying in the area. He thought the cause of the collapse was a gas explosion and wanted to get a safe distance away. One was a penthouse, the other on the first floor. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It doesn't sound silly. Surfside condo collapse victim Luis Pettengill played college tennis at Indianas Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 2007. I left my cat behind. A 2020 study conducted by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor at Florida International University's Institute of Environment in Miami, found signs of land subsidence in from 1993 to 1999 in the area where the Champlain Towers South condominium is located. "Nothing's ruled out. GARCIA-NAVARRO: You were in the building when it collapsed. The official also told ABC News it's been difficult to determine how many people were in the collapsed section of the building, partly due to the fact that there isn't an on-scene management company that keeps track. 00:25. The search and rescue efforts at the collapsed Miami Beach-area condo building has shifted to a recovery operation, signaling the formal end of the search for survivors, officials announced . Jason Delgado is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network-Florida. The 101-pageproposal included provisions helping ensure corporations stay up to speed on maintenance and inspections. And then we - I don't know where I came out to, but there were cars that were all, you know, with rocks and stuff on them, crashed. They're working around the clock and they're using every possible tool," she added. The family reached the third floor, where they helped a young woman and an elderly residentget to the ground floor. But all the material possessions they lost can be replaced, he said. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. June 24: At around 1:20 a.m., while many residents were sleeping, the condo tower shakes and then partially collapses, destroying about 55 apartment units. "Three families that I know well," he . I won't leave. The bodies of 83-year-old Antonio Lozano and his wife, 79-year-old Gladys Lozano, were recovered from the wreckage by first responders on June 24 and June 25, respectively. Some of the victims of the devastating condo collapse in Surfside, Fla., may have been alive for hours after the building first caved in but were never found alive by rescue teams, a report said Tuesday. I'm very, very emotional. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Thanks for contacting us. "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency," the statement noted. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava speaks to ABC News for an interview on "Good Morning America" on June 25, 2021. "For some reason, we all were doing things later than usual. Accuracy and availability may vary. "It's very hard for us to even think about these people that are not there with us anymore," he said. A family who survived the Surfside condominium collapse said they were mere feet from losing their lives. "Some of them dont have insurance, and theyve lost everything they worked all their lives for. And there was maybe two apartments left in my floor, and I banged on their doors. Alfredo used to joke to his wife she'd have to bury him there. Not only were they working against the instability of the structure, but rescuers also battled underground flooding, fires,smoke and wind and rain from Tropical Storm Elsa. ", VIDEO SHOWS WATER GUSHING INTO GARAGE BEFORE SURFSIDE BUILDING FELL. One year later, heres what we know so far. They always wanted me to go out, ride bikes with them. And I want you to know that in 2018, we had a board meeting. First responders arrive at the partially . They were screaming. Crews searched for hours but were unable to find her, the report said. Newsroom: (305) 795-2777. The 25-year-old caught up with his mom and sister and they continued to run from the scene. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiners Office has released initial reports for 67 of the victims, listing the cause of death as either blunt force injuries or building collapse.Only one autopsy was performed, according to the report. Did anyone survive the collapse Surfside? NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Susana Alvarez, who lived on the 10th floor of the building that collapsed in Surfside, Florida. ALVAREZ: I want answers. "That was a very difficult night . I closed the balcony doors. Areas where land is subsiding are more likely to experience more serious effects of sea level rise, according to the study, which was published in the international journal Ocean & Coastal Management. The 12-story residential complex in the small, beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach, partially collapsed before 1:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. They were always, always offering assistance. I looked forward, which is where the elevator shaft is, and it was just a hole," Albert Aguero recalled. She kept telling me what to do. I just ran out. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And this is, of course, the middle of the night, so it's dark. The group came up against rubble blocking their path. But the staircase directly outside their unit was collapsing, he said, so they had to find another one. Rosenthal said it is a miracle that he managed to escape because many of his neighbors' apartments were on the L-shaped tower that collapsed. "It felt like the whole building was shaking," Schechter said, adding that she went to look out the window. It was about the life that I had there. An eyeglass store refilled her prescription, even though she never called it in. "Nothing like this has ever been seen, at least not in the 40 years I've been doing this," Direktor told ABC News. That was my home. "I was prepared for the whole building to come down," one survivor said. The family had just moved in six months ago. "We tried knocking on people's doors," Gabe said. No one ever, ever, ever told us that this - that that building was in such bad shape - no one, no one. Alfredo Lopez and his wife describe how they escaped the crumbling Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021. Susana, I want to ask you, first of all, how are you doing? I don't know why I grabbed my phone. GARCIA-NAVARRO: As you just heard there, Ms. Alvarez said that the residents of Champlain Towers were reassured by a representative from the town of Surfside that the building was safe. What are you thinking at this moment? Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. Of the 136 condominium units, approximately 55 were destroyed along the northeast corridor, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raide Jadallah. From the man who hugged me when I went out there to that beach, and I was all alone out there - and I have no idea who he was - to the security guard in the building next door - the luxury building next door who came out and grabbed me and said, you're coming with me. That complete side of the building was not there, Mariantold the Miami Herald. And we'll have more details on that, plus more information on the collapse and what it might mean for other similarly constructed buildings in the area elsewhere in the show. We had to wait for fire rescue to come up with the ladder. SUSANA ALVAREZ: Not well. Rest of collapsed Miami tower brought down with explosives; 121 still missing. This is one of the most complex building failure investigations ever undertaken, said Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who co-leads the investigation. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. The 60-year-old told WPLG she had to climb over rubble through the dark with her dog. A "substantial number" of the condominium's residents are from overseas and "almost a third" of those reported missing are foreign citizens, according to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. A Miami-Dade County grand jury on Wednesday released a series of recommendations for condo safety throughout Florida after a deep examination of the deadly collapse in Surfside earlier this year. Your email address will not be published. appreciated. Sometimes, if were not sure if its blunt force trauma, the doctor will choose to put the general overarching event, Darren Caprara, director of operations at the medical examiners office, told USA Today about using building collapse as the cause of death. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in Miami-Dade County "to provide assistance for the families impacted by the Surfside tragedy," according to the order issued Thursday evening. Fire-rescue logs obtained by the paper showed that search dogs found signs of life in the Champlain Towers South wreckage site multiple times in the hours after the 1:25 a.m. collapse. Osin-Cohenthen returned to her apartment, taking along with her an elderly couple she came across that was also trying to find their way out. You feel sorry for them, and I wish we could've done more for them.". And a warning, this is a harrowing conversation but an important one. They are. Nicholas Balboa was walking his dog around midnight when he felt the ground shake. Albert Aguero, his wife and two children, who are from New Jersey and on vacation in South . A jagged five-foot chunk of flooring barely left enough room to escape. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. And the town of Surfside said to us that the building was not in bad shape, that the building was not in bad shape. Support . (Liyah Deveaux) By KELLI KENNEDY. Authorities have opened a family assistance center at the Surfside recreational center for individuals unable to locate loved ones who live in the Champlain Towers South. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. "I lost everything," Alvarez said, "and it doesnt mean anything to me.". ALVAREZ: Yes, I go every day. Many lost cars, too, buried in the buildings underground parking garage. Mr. Candiotti, 67, knows he was lucky to have survived the collapse last month of the condo building in Surfside, Fla. At least 97 of his neighbors did not. Coco, a black and white tuxedo cat, was left behind after her 89-year-old owner was pulled to safety from her fourth floor apartment. At least 34 lawsuits have been filed by families of victims since the collapse, accusing building officials, the condo board and others of ignoring structural defects. "I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. It was not a clap of thunder and it wasn't a storm; it was something else," Albert Aguero told ABC News' T.J. Holmes in an interview Friday on "Good Morning America.". 903 of the Champlain Towers South. Its about the lives that are there.. The uncle of a 15-year-old who survived the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside, Florida, two weeks ago called the man who found the teenager in the rubble to thank him. However, Figueiredo told him to stay because they do not get spend Wednesday nights together often. Schechter said as soon as she got out, all she could think about were her neighbors that might have still been inside. Like, you feel like an earthquake is happening right in front of you," he said. Your cat's name was Mia (ph), right? He ran to his apartment to drop off his dog, and when he returned to the wreckage, he heard screaming under the rubble. 1:33. The apartments were gone.. Legal Statement. A Haitian man once survived for two weeks within the wreckage of a building after a . "At that point, we knew it was a race against time because I didn't know if the rest of the building was coming [down].". She kept telling me what to do. The National Institute of Standards and Technology,the main federal agency conducting the probe, has said it expects the investigation to take at least two years, as every piece of evidence must be thoroughly analyzed, and all hypotheses evaluated,according to its latest statement. Last Wednesday night, hours before the collapse, Erick De Moura was walking out of girlfriend Fernanda Figueiredos Miami Beach home to head to his condo in Champlain Towers South. In the main lawsuit, brought by surviving family members, they argued thatrepair work to a neighboring building damaged and destabilized the Surfside building, which was found to be in need of major structural repairs to its foundation for years. Alvarez is still dealing with the trauma. All Rights Reserved. And I remember telling 911, 'I can't explain anything right now, you guys have to come here ASAP,'" he said. The couple lived in apartment No. I see cars going inwards, underneath the building underneath the building is the car garage. This story has been shared 155,909 times. "That number is way up from the original count, and so we're very, very grateful for the hard work of our firefighters on the scene," Levine Cava told ABC News' Cecelia Vega in an interview Friday on "GMA. ALVAREZ: Not to that extent. Associated Press. ALVAREZ: Yes. At least four people have been confirmed dead and 159 others remain unaccounted for. The announcement came after search and rescue operations were paused for hours because of growing signs the structure was dangerously unstable. There's no building.". GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what does that make you think? As they stepped onto the beach, Alfredo said he could hear the cries for help coming from the wreckage. Susana Alvarez fled her home on the 10th floor of Champlain Towers South, escaping with her life and almost nothing else. So far, only five people have been confirmed dead. I was sleeping, and I heard the loudest thunderclap Ive heard in my life times 100, he said. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. But the kindness of people has been phenomenal. "It was like a really loud clap of thunder. I run to the hallway, cloud of dust slams into me. 00:49. On Tuesday, Balboa told CNN in a phone call that the boys uncle reached out to him on June 28 on Facebook, and also called him to say thank you for saving his nephew. The judges initial approval came May 28, the day after attorneys for the families of victims reached an agreement to avoid a protracted court battle that could have taken years to resolve. Nearly 20 people were rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I know it. He said his mom liked the unit on the ground floor better and chose that one a decision that, six months later, played a role in their survival. It was like a sandstorm. Rescue crews . What are the survivors - you know, you - who managed to get out, what are you talking about? Rescue teams have tunneled into an underground parking lot for the condo building, creating a 125ft-long trench in an attempt to find air pockets in which people may have survived. And they opened it, and I just ran. In the first 48 hours, we obviously did not have all the resources, Burkett, the mayor, told USA Today. Balboa said he told the uncle, Sorry I couldnt get to his sister faster.. Surfside Resident Who Survived Condominium Collapse Wants Answers NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Susana Alvarez, who lived on the 10th floor of the building that collapsed in Surfside, Florida It just makes us really grateful, but also sad. All rights reserved, How to Help Victims of the Surfside Building Collapse, Deeply Emotional': Families of the Missing Visit Site of Florida Condo Collapse, Viral Kids' Star Ms. Rachel Is Taking a Break From Social Media After Backlash Over Co-Star Who Uses They/Them Pronouns, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Flight Attendant Hit the Ceiling': 7 Hospitalized After Severe Turbulence Diverts Flight to Virginia, Check Your Change! Firefighterseventuallyrescued him from his fourth-floor balcony. He followed the sound and located 15-year-old Jonah Handler, whose hand and fingers were visibly wiggling through the wreckage. Jeff Pias, 60, was staying with his . The structural engineer has been around for a while. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After he saw the damage on TV, De Moura said he had to drive his car to the condo building to see it for himself. Only three survived the initial collapse. He thought the ordeal could not be real, but he said he knew it was real when dust fell on his face and saw more of it out of his window. Anyone with family members from the condominium who are either safe or still missing is urged to call 305-614-1819 to account for them. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Son shares how family survived condo collapse, Son shares how family survived Surfside condo building collapse.