GARCIA-NAVARRO: It was an unimaginable situation. Steve Rosenthal said he was woken up when he heard a loud noise and felt his unit shaking. 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. Rattled, she got dressed, grabbed some essentials andbegan the trek out. I see cars going inwards, underneath the building underneath the building is the car garage. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. I lived there by myself. Was any of that shared with the rest of residents? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. He said the Surfside investment is its first U.S. project. But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. However, NPR has been able to confirm that the meeting did take place in 2018. Can you tell us what happened? Updated on: July 14, 2021 / 9:25 PM Fires have flared up throughout the day, adding to the danger for the search and rescue teams, according to the official. And the fire escape door wouldn't open, but I saw people on the other side, and I banged. (CNN) After several weeks of searching and waiting for news on victims from the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, all 242 people have been accounted for. (Sara Nir) RIGHT: A bedroom in the Nir's apartment, Unit 111, before the collapse . 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. 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. I'm very, very emotional. I couldnt tell where it was coming from.. 00:25. I look and the ceilings down, the concrete, the cement," Rosenthaltold NBC South Florida. Far more people have not been as fortunate; 32 people have been confirmed dead, and 113 remain unaccounted for as teams urgently search through the rubble for signs of life, officials said Tuesday. "Im just grateful I made it out alive with my family," Nir said. ALVAREZ: It was. The announcement came after search and rescue operations were paused for hours because of growing signs the structure was dangerously unstable. "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. The Lopez family has lived for two decades on the street side of the condo that's still partially intact. 'Like it had been hit by a missile': Residents who survived the collapse describe being inside. I was sleeping, and I heard the loudest thunderclap Ive heard in my life times 100, he said. Rescuers are in a desperate bid to try and find survivors in Surfside, Fla., amid the wreckage of the Champlain Towers condo building. 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. "I remember screaming to my mom and my sister, 'Run, run, just run for your life,'" Gabe said, adding that he heard screaming from others and it felt like a nightmare. 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. Legal Statement. ", Now they have to rebuild their lives from scratch. It was. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. GARCIA-NAVARRO: You did the only thing you could. CNNs Eric Levenson contributed to this report. The Dubai billionaires $120 million land purchase also will be used to pay families of victims and property owners. ALVAREZ: I was only thinking of myself. 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. And the building was covered with smoke - smoke everywhere. The people that lived there were good, good people that didn't deserve this. Sharon Schechter, 60, described her escape to WPLG , saying she believes she was only one of two people who survived from her floor when the 12-story oceanfront Champlain Towers South near Miami partially . She convinced him to have a beer at the dining room table. 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. 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.. And again, I'm staying in the area. Elected officials told the paper that first responders lacked adequate resources and the experience in dealing with such a massive and catastrophic incident. And there were two men and a young man with us, and they were helping us. She hasn't slept in a bed since the collapse a week ago. 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. 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. It was like 'Titanic,'" she said. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Balboa said he told the uncle, Sorry I couldnt get to his sister faster.. 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. I also want you to know that that couple - that they keep saying in the news that 1001 - it's a man and his wife - that the niece was visiting them - they were the nicest people, the nicest people, were always - I'm by myself. Jeff Pias, 60, was staying with his . It's like a motor it just goes fast, fast, fast," he said, adding that they don't even know where to start. 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. Legal Statement. 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. There was light, but it was the eeriness of it. 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. That was my home. Thats how we got out.. Survivors recount harrowing escape from collapsed condo. The remaining portion of the structure was demolished on July 4, and search efforts shifted into recovery mode. 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 . July 14, 2021 / 6:01 AM / CBS Miami. 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. And please understand that I don't care - everything I lost in that condo, including my parents' wedding rings and my father's 18-karat gold watch from Cuba that was engraved and all that - I don't care. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Those are people I say hello to. The rumble was followed by a loud crash and debris as part of a condo complex collapsed in Surfside . Its the only way they can heal.. One provision stipulates that condos taller than three stories must be inspected every ten years. Albert Aguero, his wife and two children, who are from New Jersey and on vacation in South . Miami, FL 33141 The announcement came after search and rescue operations were paused for hours because of growing signs the structure was dangerously unstable. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Photos: Florida beachfront condo collapses, Surfside mourns victims as death toll nears 100, One year later, Surfside survivors recall collapse and healing journey, Memorial held for victims of the Surfside tragedy on anniversary of the condo collapse, Judge approves $1 billion settlement in deadly Florida condo collapse, "Voice in the rubble" victim of Surfside condo collapse is identified, Lawsuit claims construction triggered deadly condo collapse, history of maintenance and structural concerns. They were the nicest couple. Alfredo Lopez and his wife describe how they escaped the crumbling Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021. A total of 98 people died when the building partially collapsed on June 24, 2021. 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. 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. He was obviously sleeping, Balboa said two weeks ago. 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. And there were no elevators, just open holes. "While we're running, we're thinking, we don't know what's going on. 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. Victor Oquendo, Emily Shapiro, Ben Stein, Christine Theodorou and Nery Ynclan contributed to this report. That's when the family started hearing loud noises. Sara picked up Gabe on her way home and they all arrived back at the building just before 1 a.m., he said. ALVAREZ: I'll be all right. 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. "I don't think I've really processed what happened.". Search efforts . 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. So far, they have rescued 35 people who were trapped in the building and two others from beneath the rubble, according to Jadallah. Searchers for a second day combed through the massive pile of debris following the collapse of a Florida condo building, as officials vowed to keep looking for anyone who may still . After a failed attempt duringthe 2022 legislative session, lawmakers in May returned to Tallahasseeandpassed legislation designed to prevent a similar disaster. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And for more information or to report the status of Champlain Tower residents who are unaccounted for, please call 305-614-1819 or 305-993-1071. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It sounds like you want answers. "I feel like I'm mourning every minute for someone in the building," she said. Then their bedroom began to shake. Dubai-based DAMAC Properties won a $120 million bid to acquire the 1.8 acres. I can only imagine how many people were in their apartments either sleeping or watching TV or just whatever, just living their lives. And in the pool area, you just see everything just sunk down below, underneath. 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. In May:DeSantis signs condo reform bill a response to Surfside building collapse into law. They have no luggage. 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. The Miami Herald, in a multimedia investigative story,reported last December that the collapse beganwhen the ground-floor parking area and pool deck caved in, and found that design failures, shoddy construction, damage and neglect over the past 40 years lined up like dominoes to create the perfect conditions for a deadly chain reaction.. It was about the life that I had there. (Liyah Deveaux) By KELLI KENNEDY. Albert Aguero (top left), his wife Janette Aguero (bottom right), his son Justin Willis (top right) and his daughter Athena Aguero (bottom left) speak to ABC News for an interview on "Good Morning America" in Surfside, Fla. on June 25, 2021. It's still unclear what caused the condominium, which has withstood decades of hurricanes, to partially collapse. Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. ABC News' Eliana Larramendia Boyd, Kendall Coughlin, Alexandra Faul, Christopher Godburn, Joshua Hoyos, Aaron Katersky, Rachel Katz, Katie Kindelan,. I mean, did you have any idea that the building was unsound? Deven Gonzalez, left, and her volleyball teammate Liyah Deveaux. About the . Florida Gov. That is what they said, OK? But all the material possessions they lost can be replaced, he said. "The building swayed like a sheet of paper. Its about the lives that are there.. Only three survived the initial collapse. An eyeglass store refilled her prescription, even though she never called it in. Surfside condo collapse victim Luis Pettengill played college tennis at Indianas Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 2007. I just ran out. As they stepped onto the beach, Alfredo said he could hear the cries for help coming from the wreckage. A mother We talked until 1 in the morning, De Moura said. It's just so emotional. About four hours later, he checked his phone and found out what had happened to his home and neighbors. I thought it was a wonderful property because I was so happy. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers search through the rubble for survivors after a condo building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, on June 24, 2021. 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. So far, there is no evidence of foul play, according to Levine Cava. 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. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. This story has been shared 155,909 times. MIAMI (CBSMiami) - For the fortunate who survived the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in late June, getting basic help early on was simple. First responders have not heard any voices coming from the pile but have continuously picked up sounds, according to Jadallah. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. This was in a matter of seconds, out of nowhere. Mia, another cat, had been lying at the feet of her owner on . Paolo Longobardi speaks about escaping the collapsed building in Surfside, Fla. on "Good Morning America," June 25, 2021. "It's just sad. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. And a warning, this is a harrowing conversation but an important one. But, at this point, nothing to indicate that.". 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. An engineer apparently warned the building's condo association of major structural damage back in 2018. I run to the hallway, cloud of dust slams into me. 1401 79th Street Causeway Friends she's staying with outfitted her with new clothes and a computer. With her dog in her arms, she had to climb through rubble and over cars to escape. 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. Dressed in flip-flops and pajamas, Alfredo and Marian Lopez left their home of 22 years afterwhat sounded like a loud crash of thunder woke them from their sixth-floor apartment at the northwest corner of the Champlain Towers South. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! A massive search and rescue operation has been underway since early Thursday, as crews carefully comb through the pancaked wreckage and remaining structure in hopes of finding survivors. Officials said Thursday they're making plans for the likely demolition of all parts of the building that didn't collapse. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Where are you staying right now? 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. The remains belonged to Estelle Hedaya, 54, according to a statement from the Miami-Dade Police. While delayed maintenance and structural complications are widely considered the cause of the collapse, manyquestions about the disasterstill remain. The family is now living in a hotel and dealing with the trauma of that night. My balcony doors opened. We climbed out of rubble. So Sara went to the front lobby to talk to the security guard. 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. "We lost everything, so there's so many things that your mind goes crazy. The building's shocking anddevastating collapselast month killed at least 97 people inside but the Nirs managed to get out alive. Their condo in Surfside had collapsed, and they had just narrowly survived. All rights reserved. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. The family had their choice of two units, Gabe said. ", Longobardi, who is a civil engineer, said they found a staircase that was completely intact and he quickly checked for cracks or other signs of damage before they used it to escape. There was people alive in there. "We cannot say what is the reason for that from the satellite images but we can say there was movement here.". "I know that they are hopeful, so we are hopeful as well.". What we know about the building collapse so far. 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. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. "There's got to be a reason we came back later. 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. At approximately 1:20 a.m. on June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South, a 12-story, 136-unit condo building at 8777 Collins Ave., Surfside . "Nothing like this has ever been seen, at least not in the 40 years I've been doing this," Direktor told ABC News. One year later, heres what we know so far. A high-rise condo building in Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed on June 24, leaving at least 95 people dead, with as many as 14 potentially still missing Tuesday afternoon. People stand at the Surfside Community Center where authorities are taking residents and relatives from a partially collapsed building in Surfside near Miami Beach, Fla., June 24, 2021. He followed the sound and located 15-year-old Jonah Handler, whose hand and fingers were visibly wiggling through the wreckage. A woman who survived the collapse of a condo building in Florida said she escaped by climbing through the rubble in the dark with her dog. Firefighterseventuallyrescued him from his fourth-floor balcony. The NIST received $22 million in supplemental funding from Congress to complete its investigation. "We were just tremendously lucky.". It was destroyed in the collapse, but thanks to the persistent nature of his significant other, he is still alive today. And 156 people are still unaccounted for. They were both identified by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26. 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 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. She quickly grabbed her dog and tried to evacuate, along with other residents, down the only staircase that was available. Most residents were asleep. She kept telling me what to do. Nobody had been found alive since immediately after the Florida building crumbled almost two weeks ago, killing at least 54. Many families are still holding out hope that their loved ones will be found alive. And there was an older lady and they were helping us out of the rubble. 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. So far, one person is confirmed dead, 11 are injured and 99 people . Florida Building Collapse: Death Toll Climbs To 18, With 145 Missing : Live Updates: Miami-Area Condo Collapse It has now been nearly a week since rescue crews last pulled anyone alive from the . 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. The lady that was in the elevator with me before I went to bed that night, before I went to - home for the evening - we were talking. Heavy machinery is used to remove a support column as search and rescue personnel work atop the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo building on Friday. And I hear car alarms going off, I see lights flashing everywhere. "I lost everything," Alvarez said, "and it doesnt mean anything to me.". 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. Emergency personnel work at the site of a partially collapsed building in Surfside near Miami Beach, Fla., June 24, 2021. 1:33. 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 . 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. A mother and daughter who survived the Florida condo collapse that killed 98 people describe how they survived falling when the floor gave way. There was nothing there, and people were screaming. They're working around the clock and they're using every possible tool," she added. appreciated. 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. The final missing person in the condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida has been recovered and identified, according to the Miami-Dade County mayor. Please enter valid email address to continue. How many people survived the Surfside condo collapse? The flooded garage was located underneath the building's pool. "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. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. One unit over, and I am gone, Rosenthal added. Surfside is a few miles north of Miami Beach. Have a news tip? A family who survived the Surfside condominium collapse said they were mere feet from losing their lives. Have you been able to sort of gather and sort of think about what's next? Thats a horrifying thought, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told the outlet. ALVAREZ: Yes. Thats what saved me. I left the cat behind, and I ran out. You couldn't see anything. She kept telling me what to do. Eyal was out of town that fateful night. Praying that the building didnt fall on me, collapse on me. It's not known if those factors played a role in the collapse. The couple fled down the emergencystairwell, but couldn't open the lobby door. I have friends in Surfside. "I don't have anything," said the 62-year-old survivor of the condominium building collapse just outside Miami. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. I dont even want to think about it, shesaid. 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. 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.
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