Legal Statement. Those are people I say hello to. And we sat there with the town of Surfside. And I hear car alarms going off, I see lights flashing everywhere. 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. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. "It felt like the whole building was shaking," Schechter said, adding that she went to look out the window. "I'm on the phone with 911. But I am homeless right now. Gabe said it sounded like construction but in the middle of the night, it was suspect. I had this beautiful condo by the beach. We're going to hear now from one of the survivors of that collapse. And I feel like fate really God really came and saved us," he said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Neither he nor the company, in its press release, made any mention of the 98 people who perished. "Especially at nighttime. I thought, oh, tomorrow on the news, we're going to hear about, you know, tremors in Florida. Miami-Dade County officials are aware of the study and are "looking into" it, Levine Cava told ABC News. 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. They then descended to the garage where they encountered shin-deep water, ultimatelyescaping Alfredo with a woman frozen from shock hoisted over his shoulder through an opening in acrumbled wall. How many people survived the Surfside condo collapse? Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. Although he and his family are safe, Longobardi said they are all "shocked. I was only thinking of getting out. 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. 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 second body was pulled out a short while later. He ran to his apartment to drop off his dog, and when he returned to the wreckage, he heard screaming under the rubble. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what does that make you think? All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. June 2021: The collapse. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. Its a miracle. "It could have been a very different thing," Janette Aguero said, her voice wavering with emotion. Paolo Longobardi speaks about escaping the collapsed building in Surfside, Fla. on "Good Morning America," June 25, 2021. "We lost everything, so there's so many things that your mind goes crazy. 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. 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. GARCIA-NAVARRO: You did the only thing you could. 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.. When he opened the . Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. And the fire escape door wouldn't open, but I saw people on the other side, and I banged. "That's kind of what's hard.". "Just don't know why we're here and the rest of the people aren't," Janette Aguero told ABC News. This story has been shared 155,909 times. From the balcony of his vacation rental in Unit 1106 right by the collapsed wing he saidhe saw a grey cloud covering the entire building. 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 . 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. 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. It's just so emotional. Rescuers are in a desperate bid to try and find survivors in Surfside, Fla., amid the wreckage of the Champlain Towers condo building. All Rights Reserved. "Panic starts to set in, like we need to really run, because I don't know if the rest of it is coming down. 'Like it had been hit by a missile': Residents who survived the collapse describe being inside. My balcony doors opened. Fires have flared up throughout the day, adding to the danger for the search and rescue teams, according to the official. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers search through the rubble for survivors after a condo building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, on June 24, 2021. 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. 0:41. Copyright 2021 NPR. Champlain Towers South is the 13-story beachfront building that collapsed June 24. 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. A partially collapsed building is seen early Thursday, June 24, 2021, in the Surfside area of Miami, Fla. A woman who survived the collapse of a condo building in Florida has shared how she escaped. Only three survived the initial collapse. I looked forward, which is where the elevator shaft is, and it was just a hole," Albert Aguero recalled. There's no building.". 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. 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. That is what they said, OK? "It's very hard for us to even think about these people that are not there with us anymore," he said. Someone help us. The remaining portion of the structure was demolished on July 4, and search efforts shifted into recovery mode. I can only imagine how many people were in their apartments either sleeping or watching TV or just whatever, just living their lives. "I was prepared for the whole building to come down," one survivor said. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. I mean, this doesn't just happen. Aguero, his wife and two children, were visiting South Florida from New Jersey. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Alfredo Lopez and his wife describe how they escaped the crumbling Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 They're working around the clock and they're using every possible tool," she added. They are. Of the 136 condominium units, approximately 55 were destroyed along the northeast corridor, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raide Jadallah. 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 . Mia, another cat, had been lying at the feet of her owner on . Its not like her, and its not like me, and when I woke up at 5:30, I understood why.. I left my cat behind. Son shares how family survived Surfside condo building collapse 03:11 About six months ago, the Nir family moved to Surfside, Florida. 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. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". A total of 98 people died when the building partially collapsed on June 24, 2021. Families deserve to know what really happened to their loved ones. ", 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. Another requires condo owners to maintain a reserve fund to address needed repairs. And the town of Surfside said to us that the building was not in bad shape, that the building was not in bad shape. I go as near as I can. I'm very, very emotional. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, she told WPLG. Firefighters officially ended their search for bodies in the debris of the collapsed Surfside condo building on Friday Still, officials had resisted abandoning the search-and-rescue effort. Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. Its about the lives that are there.. He thought the cause of the collapse was a gas explosion and wanted to get a safe distance away. I won't leave. GARCIA-NAVARRO: There's been a lot of news coming out about why this might have happened. "We said, 'We have to run, don't take anything,'" Longobardi recalled during an interview Friday on "GMA" with ABC News' T.J. Holmes. "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. Jeff Pias, 60, was staying with his . And - so I went around the corner, and that's when I saw that the building was missing. 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. 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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! (CNN) After several weeks of searching and waiting for news on victims from the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, A class-action complaint updated on Nov. 10 alleges that the towers were badly damaged and destabilized because of, A total of 98 people died when the building, 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. 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. We reached out to a Surfside spokesperson for a response but did not hear back. It was. ALVAREZ: I'll be all right. Support . WOMAN TRAPPED IN CONDO RUBBLE PLEADED WITH RESCUERS TO SAVE HER. Firefighterseventuallyrescued him from his fourth-floor balcony. 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. Yes. Dubai-based DAMAC Properties won a $120 million bid to acquire the 1.8 acres. The earthquake happened 100 miles off the coast of Florida and experts are weighing in whether it could have had anything to do with the Surfside condo collapse almost a week later. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. And in the pool area, you just see everything just sunk down below, underneath. Its not known. 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. 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. By Wilson Wong. I know it. Alfredo and Marian Lopez were sound asleep around 1:30 a.m. Thursday when they heard the first boom, like a crash of thunder from a Florida . And I want you to know that in 2018, we had a board meeting. Published This is one of the most complex building failure investigations ever undertaken, said Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who co-leads the investigation. "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. And my mom decided to stay later at her event, my sister decided to come back home late," he said. Did anyone survive the collapse Surfside? MIAMI (CBSMiami) - For the fortunate who survived the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in late June, getting basic help early on was simple. Like, you feel like an earthquake is happening right in front of you," he said. Jadallah told reporters that at least 11 people were medically assessed and treated on site, four of whom were then transported to local hospitals. Florida Gov. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. The couple lived in apartment No. "It was pitch black. I don't care about that. I can't even explain it. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Im in a dream in California. Multiple survivors have recounted that their entire apartment was rattling before the collapse. About six months ago, the Nir family moved to Surfside, Florida. 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. Teams of firefighters have been cutting through the layers of debris with various machinery and using sonar devices as well as specially trained dogs as part of the search efforts, a process that Jadallah said is "slow and methodical." Direktor noted that he hadn't been warned of any structural issues with the building or about the land it was built on. SUSANA ALVAREZ: Not well. I thought it was a wonderful property because I was so happy. Did Mavericks kneel during national anthem. That was my home. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "There's got to be a reason we came back later. The group came up against rubble blocking their path. We talked until 1 in the morning, De Moura said. TALLAHASSEE June 24 will mark one year since the tragic partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building thatclaimed the lives of 98 residentsin Surfside. I ran to the balcony. "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. He said the Surfside investment is its first U.S. project. 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. ", She made her way to a nearby stairwell and tried to exit on the pool deck, but the door was jammed. 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. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It was an unimaginable situation. All rights reserved. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. I closed the balcony doors. According to The Telegraph, another Haitian man survived underneath a pile of rubble for over three weeks by drinking sewage water . That's when the family started hearing loud noises. Their car was destroyed in the building's garage. We got to the stairwell and when we opened the door, that's when everything really hit, because half the wall to the stairwell was missing, it was kind ofopen airstairs, so now we're just racing down as fast as possible.". Reach him at JDelgado@gannett.com. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. Your cat's name was Mia (ph), right? Susana, I want to ask you, first of all, how are you doing? 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. (Sara Nir) RIGHT: A bedroom in the Nir's apartment, Unit 111, before the collapse . About the . The couple fled down the emergencystairwell, but couldn't open the lobby door. And it's just overwhelming, really.". 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. "Im just grateful I made it out alive with my family," Nir said. An attached copy of the policy showed limits between $1 million and $2 million. U.S. President Joe Biden subsequently approved an emergency declaration in Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local response efforts in the wake of the partial building collapse. Contact this reporter at kvlamis@insider.com. Rattled, she got dressed, grabbed some essentials andbegan the trek out. The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident. Survivors recounted hearing signs of the collapse and attempting to escape the building early Thursday morning. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. "I don't have anything," said the 62-year-old survivor of the condominium building collapse just outside Miami. She kept telling me what to do. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. "I said, 'Oh my god, where's the building? Victor Oquendo, Emily Shapiro, Ben Stein, Christine Theodorou and Nery Ynclan contributed to this report. But the staircase directly outside their unit was collapsing, he said, so they had to find another one. No one ever, ever, ever told us that this - that that building was in such bad shape - no one, no one. "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. "I don't think I've really processed what happened.". I left the cat behind, and I ran out. Crews searched for hours but were unable to find her, the report said. Hes based in Tallahassee. 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. That complete side of the building was not there, Mariantold the Miami Herald. The final missing person in the condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida has been recovered and identified, according to the Miami-Dade County mayor. As Sara and Chani ran from the building, Gabe called 911. "I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. I just ran out. But all the material possessions they lost can be replaced, he said. "People were yelling, 'help me, get me out, help me.'". As of Friday, some 159 people were still unaccounted for following the collapse of the northeast section of Champlain Towers early Thursday morning, and four people have . "It's just sad. (AP). I mean, did you have any idea that the building was unsound? Yes, I want answers. One unit over, and I am gone, Rosenthal added. 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. , even as police and forensic specialists continue working to identify human remains. 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.