The rumble was followed by a loud crash and debris as part of a condo complex collapsed in Surfside . "I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. An eyeglass store refilled her prescription, even though she never called it in. Before sprinting to the beachto safety, Aguero said thegroupcrawled up about three feet of rubble on the first floor andovercamea three-foot gapby the pool. Surfside condo collapse victim Luis Pettengill played college tennis at Indianas Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 2007. I won't leave. When part of the 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed early Thursday, it left a pile of rubble where the beachside residences once stood. Reach him at JDelgado@gannett.com. Have you been able to sort of gather and sort of think about what's next? This was in a matter of seconds, out of nowhere. Steven Rosenthalwasasleepin a corner unit of the12-story Champlain Towers South buildingthat collapsed last Thursday when he heard the loudest thunderclap times a hundred that I ever heard in my life.. And I should've gone back for her. I thought, oh, tomorrow on the news, we're going to hear about, you know, tremors in Florida. The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And have you been back to the building? At 11:05 a.m., about 10hours after the condo caved-in, the logs noted that rescuers lost voice contactwith a female victim and requested backup and canines to scour the basement. The Champlain Towers South condominium was built in the 1980s and was up for its 40-year recertification, according to Surfside officials. A family who survived the Surfside condominium collapse said they were mere feet from losing their lives. "I'm on the phone with 911. When he opened the . As of Friday night, at least four people were confirmed dead and 159 people were unaccounted for as search crews continued to work through the wreckage. 00:25. It was about the life that I had there. Rodriguez helped neighbors escape to a second-floor balcony where firefighters helped them to the ground. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. ALVAREZ: They are. WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale, Damage forces evacuation of Miami Beach apartment building, Ordered to leave their homes, Crestview Towers residents speak out on evacuation, Remembering the victims of the Surfside condo collapse, How you can help those impacted by the condo collapse in Surfside, Coral Gables resident still refuses to sell decades-old home surrounded by massive development, Broward County pastor faces several fraud, grand theft charges after defrauding church, Gunman dead after hours-long SWAT standoff at SW Miami-Dade apartment complex, Police: Man fatally shot 3-year-old son, himself inside Coconut Grove condo, Police arrest student who made false bomb threat at Dillard High School; classes resume. "It's very hard for us to even think about these people that are not there with us anymore," he said. "That was a very difficult night . The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. And there were no elevators, just open holes. 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. Surfside building collapse victims Sophia Lpez Moreira and her husband Luis Pettengill died along with their three children and nanny, Leidy Vanessa Luna Villalba. And again, I'm staying in the area. They were both identified by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26. Thats how we got out.. / CBS News. Many families are still holding out hope that their loved ones will be found alive. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. This is one of the most complex building failure investigations ever undertaken, said Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who co-leads the investigation. It's still unclear what caused the condominium, which has withstood decades of hurricanes, to partially collapse. I could hear them screaming. 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. "It felt like the whole building was shaking," Schechter said, adding that she went to look out the window. The group came up against rubble blocking their path. ALVAREZ: Yes, I go every day. The death . Its a miracle. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. ALVAREZ: Yes. The family is now living in a hotel and dealing with the trauma of that night. The condominium is a mix of full-time residents, seasonal residents, renters and short-term visitors, so authorities have been relying largely on neighbors and word of mouth, according to the official. "She lived there for a long time," said Adam Schwartzbaum, her attorney, "and she was planning to live there for the rest of her life. she told WPLG. "My initial reaction is wow, we were so lucky. We talked aboutitand we say it's about 15 feet that we survived by, if we had been 15 feet to the right, it would have gone down, or half of the apartment would have gone down," Aguero said. 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. She kept telling me what to do. All I saw was cement, rubble, wood, people yelling Help me,' Rosenthal said. 0:00. "I was prepared for the whole building to come down," one survivor said. What are the survivors - you know, you - who managed to get out, what are you talking about? Paolo Longobardi speaks about escaping the collapsed building in Surfside, Fla. on "Good Morning America," June 25, 2021. She quickly grabbed her dog and tried to evacuate, along with other residents, down the only staircase that was available. Ninety-six bodies were recovered from the Champlain Towers South collapse site in Surfside, Florida, while one other victim who died at a hospital brings the official death toll to 97. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Dubai-based DAMAC Properties won a $120 million bid to acquire the 1.8 acres. Alfredo used to joke to his wife she'd have to bury him there. I closed the balcony doors. 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. Firefighters officially ended their search for bodies in the debris of the collapsed Surfside condo building on Friday We talked until 1 in the morning, De Moura said. Balboa flagged a police officer and other rescuers, who helped pull the teenager out to safety. The action authorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in Miami-Dade County," according to a statement from the White House. Residents of a partially-collapsed condo in Surfside, Florida, have spoken out about what they heard, felt, and saw during the disaster, as search and rescue efforts continue. The identification brings the total death toll to. We climbed out of rubble. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". The collapsed condo was about to begin . (AP), OFFICIALS PLANNING FOR LIKELY DEMOLITION OF REMAINING STRUCTURE. "We tried knocking on people's doors," Gabe said. Raysa Rodriguez, a retired postal worker who lived at Champlain Towers South for 17 years and was close to paying off her mortgage, described in a lawsuit she filed against the condominium association how crashing sounds roused her from bed the night of the collapse. No other survivors were found even after an international coalition of rescue workers labored for two weeks, working 24 hours a day, to dig through a 40-foot high pile of rubble. That was my home. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp Usually it's hard for me to sleep because you have the screaming echoing in my mind and it just brings those flashbacks. First responders arrive at the partially . (Sara Nir) RIGHT: A bedroom in the Nir's apartment, Unit 111, before the collapse . He and his wife got the kids from their beds and ran for their lives. "The chandeliers and the pendant lights [were] just swaying completely, and that was not normal. But it wasn't even a minute that went by when it was - my bed started to shake like if I was on a - like I was on a ride. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. GARCIA-NAVARRO: You did the only thing you could. "These folks that we are serving, who we know they are having the worst experience of their lives, are turning around and asking you what can they do to serve," Logan said. Condo association "kept kicking the can down the road," according to lawyer for unit owner. During times like this, they are very good. Over a month after a condominium complex near Miami abruptly collapsed overnight, local officials said Monday theyve identified the remains of a final missing person, sending the disasters overall death toll to 98. 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 . For now they are staying at a nearby hotel, the floor of their room cluttered with items donated by friends and strangers. "I'm having a hard time [getting] to sleep. Someone help us. Direktor noted that he hadn't been warned of any structural issues with the building or about the land it was built on. And there were two men and a young man with us, and they were helping us. Friends she's staying with outfitted her with new clothes and a computer. Its not known. SURFSIDE As many as nine of the 98 victims who died in the worst building collapse in modern U.S. history might have survived the initial cave-in, a USA Today investigation suggests . Survivors recounted hearing signs of the collapse and attempting to escape the building early Thursday morning. Authorities tallied a total of 98 deaths in what is one of the worst building collapses in U.S. history. 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. But, at this point, nothing to indicate that.". "Pancake collapses tend to 'stack' floors on themselves, bringing all their weight down nearly square on the . The disaster that killed at least 18 people, with more than 140 still missing, also rendered dozens of people homeless. 2. I just ran out. About four hours later, he checked his phone and found out what had happened to his home and neighbors. When I opened the door to my apartment, it leads to a long hallway, and all I saw was debris, Osin-Cohen told"Today. "Some of them dont have insurance, and theyve lost everything they worked all their lives for. A Haitian man once survived for two weeks within the wreckage of a building after a . "The building swayed like a sheet of paper. ALVAREZ: Yes. And she got the last condo in a 16-unit building that was opened up rent-free to Surfside survivors for the month of July. Rescue crews . Rescue workers continued digging feverishly for a sixth day Tuesday, after stressing Monday that they could still find survivors in the rubble of a collapsed Surfside condo building. I mean, the bed was shaking. Updated on: July 14, 2021 / 9:25 PM "Its nothing short of amazing.". Town leaders fuming at obstacles to investigation, aim to sue county, Florida judge approves $83 million settlement for property loss in Surfside condo collapse, DeSantis signs condo reform bill a response to Surfside building collapse into law, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "People were yelling, 'help me, get me out, help me.'". Although he and his family are safe, Longobardi said they are all "shocked. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Where are you staying right now? They managed to survive the collapse after Sara Nir heard loud noises and then saw the parking deck collapse. Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. And when we got outside again, all I could hear were the people screaming. And they opened it, and I just ran. ", "I'm very hopeful because we have the best team in the world. And a warning, this is a harrowing conversation but an important one. Can you tell us what happened? 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. When he told me My building collapsed, I believed something wrong happened during the building or something broke, but not the whole building on the floor.. 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. 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. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. I mean, I know that sounds silly, but that's all I want, my cat back. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. In May:DeSantis signs condo reform bill a response to Surfside building collapse into law. 3:07 PM EDT, Tue July 6, 2021, Video shows boy rescued from rubble in building collapse, saw that a major section of the condo complex had collapsed. It was destroyed in the collapse, but thanks to the persistent nature of his significant other, he is still alive today. And it's just overwhelming, really.". The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident. Nicholas Balboa was walking his dog around midnight when he felt the ground shake. And it was just a lot - what looked like smoke, which must've been dust. I had this beautiful condo by the beach. Search and Rescue personnel pull a body out of the rubble after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, on June 24, 2021. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. OfeOsin-Cohen, anotherfourth-floor resident who escaped,told NBC's "Today" showshewassound asleepwhen she hearda weird sound and feltthe building shake. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. I go as near as I can. A Miami-Dade county official told ABC News that there's real concern about the structural integrity of the remaining building, particularly from dangling wires and portions of concrete. "While we're running, we're thinking, we don't know what's going on. 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. Sadly, no one . Raysa Rodriguez recounts a harrowing escape from her unit at the collapsed Surfside condominium, and . Furniture sits perched in the remains of apartments sheared in half, in the still standing portion of the Champlain Towers South condo building, more than a week after it partially collapsed. I run to the hallway, cloud of dust slams into me. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It was an unimaginable situation. "As soon as she goes down to the front, I hear this loud rumble. He cannot help but wish, though, that a . Market data provided by Factset. And I don't know - we just - we climbed out of rubble. GARCIA-NAVARRO: But you know if you'd done that, you might have lost your life. I dont even want to think about it, shesaid. There was nothing there, and people were screaming. Discovery Company. "There's got to be a reason we came back later. She convinced him to have a beer at the dining room table. What we know about the building collapse so far. "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. The public may view the reports by going to WSVN.com and clicking on "FCC Public File", or by visiting the FCC's website at FCC.org. We've received your submission. But the staircase directly outside their unit was collapsing, he said, so they had to find another one. More than 150 people were unaccounted for after a high-rise condo building partially collapsed near Miami Beach early Thursday, leaving at least four people dead and 11 injured, officials said . One year later, heres what we know so far. The identification brings the total death toll to 98 victims. Rest of collapsed Miami tower brought down with explosives; At a news conference Monday, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that the final missing persons family had been notified following the identification of the individuals remains, formally ending the search. "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. In the first 48 hours, we obviously did not have all the resources, Burkett, the mayor, told USA Today. First responders have not heard any voices coming from the pile but have continuously picked up sounds, according to Jadallah. But, I mean, I can't get into the building. Direktor said the construction plans had already been submitted to the Town of Surfside but the only work that had begun was on the roof. Susana Alvarez is 62. He followed the sound and located 15-year-old Jonah Handler, whose hand and fingers were visibly wiggling through the wreckage. MIAMI BEACH The first victim was found in the heap of wreckage just hours after the sudden collapse of a 13-story oceanside condo building. They chose to live in Champlain Towers South. I don't know why I grabbed my phone. GARCIA-NAVARRO: There's been a lot of news coming out about why this might have happened. They came out, and then I said, we got to get out of here. 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.. "That's kind of what's hard.". We took out $15 million to fix that building at his say-so. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It doesn't sound silly. The whole experience, she told Today, was really surreal., Unfortunately, we did hear screams. I want major answers. An attached copy of the policy showed limits between $1 million and $2 million. "When we measure subsidence or when we see movement of the buildings, it's worth checking why it happens," Wdowinski, who analyzed space-based radar data, said in a statement Thursday. I went with the people. "Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. "It was like a really loud clap of thunder. Newsroom: (305) 795-2777. Yes. The family had their choice of two units, Gabe said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. He thought the cause of the collapse was a gas explosion and wanted to get a safe distance away. And the stairs were all full of rubble. Contact this reporter at kvlamis@insider.com. For five long . Yes. (AP), LIVE UPDATES: SURFSIDE CONDO BUILDING COLLAPSE. Their condo in Surfside had collapsed, and they had just narrowly survived. They are. "Any time we hear like, 'boom,' or just something that's very unusual, anything that brings those flashbacks, it's just terrifying and it's very traumatizing," he said. And I remember telling 911, 'I can't explain anything right now, you guys have to come here ASAP,'" he said. It's not like her, and it's not like me, and when I woke up at 5:30, I understood why." I have no family. Thanks for contacting us. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, Champlain Towers South near Miami partially collapsed, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, butlight showers make brief return, Friday Nightcap: Winners & losers of the week, Two boats, carrying 48 Cuban migrants, make landing on Dry Tortugas in Florida Keys, Big rigs flipped by strong winds during severe weather. Support . 'Like it had been hit by a missile': Residents who survived the collapse describe being inside. "I walked out with my pajamas and my phone.". ALVAREZ: I was in bed, and I heard a tremor. Then their bedroom began to shake. Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela have all reported nationals who have been affected by the building collapse in Surfside, with more than a dozen still missing. WOMAN TRAPPED IN CONDO RUBBLE PLEADED WITH RESCUERS TO SAVE HER. Miami condo owners warned of major structural damage in 2018. ALVAREZ: I was only thinking of myself. 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. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava speaks to ABC News for an interview on "Good Morning America" on June 25, 2021. "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].". So far, one person is confirmed dead, 11 are injured and 99 people . 1401 79th Street Causeway By Wilson Wong. ", VIDEO SHOWS WATER GUSHING INTO GARAGE BEFORE SURFSIDE BUILDING FELL. Nine of the 98 Surfside victims may have SURVIVED the initial condo collapse: Fire rescue logs show woman was alive in rubble for TEN HOURS. And the fire escape door wouldn't open, but I saw people on the other side, and I banged. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Mysterious Cases of Men Found Dead After Leaving NYC Gay Bars Ruled Homicides: ME. 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! I was going to retire there. An engineer apparently warned the building's condo association of major structural damage back in 2018. What are you thinking at this moment? Schechter, whose home is in a part of the building that is still standing, said she was asleep when she began hearing noises that were followed by shaking and rumbling. When you start hitting seven days, that really goes down." Survival depends on several factors - mainly access to air and water, ability to regulate body temperature, pre-existing health conditions, injuries sustained during the collapse, and mental will to live. According to The Telegraph, another Haitian man survived underneath a pile of rubble for over three weeks by drinking sewage water . The remains belonged to, The final missing person in the condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida has been recovered and identified, according to the Miami-Dade County mayor. Victims also appear likely to get some money from the liability insurer for Champlain Towers Souths condominium association, which has at least four lawsuits pending related to the collapse. "I said, 'Oh my god, where's the building? And - so I went around the corner, and that's when I saw that the building was missing. Capponi's organization, Global Empowerment Mission, has distributed roughly $75,000 in gift cards among surfside survivors, and he's also working with hotel and condo owners to find places they can live for the next two months. Nine of the 98 Surfside victims may have SURVIVED the initial condo collapse: Fire rescue logs show woman was alive in rubble for TEN HOURS. When they opened their door, they sawsky and beach where their neighbors doors had once stood. They were always, always offering assistance. Miami, FL 33141 Legal Statement. All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. Though most who managed to flee to safety lived in parts of the building that remain standing, they have little hope of returning to reclaim clothing, computers, jewelry and sentimental possessions they left behind. That complete side of the building was not there, Mariantold the Miami Herald. Another requires condo owners to maintain a reserve fund to address needed repairs. 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. Paolo Longobardi, who lives in the Champlain Towers South with his wife and two children, said he also awoke to loud noises and saw part of the building collapse. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The cause of the collapse is still being investigated, but evidence soon emerged of a history of maintenance and structural concerns at the building, which was just beginning a multimillion-dollar repair project. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The familys condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. 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. Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved.