And the fire escape door wouldn't open, but I saw people on the other side, and I banged. Rattled, she got dressed, grabbed some essentials andbegan the trek out. "The chandeliers and the pendant lights [were] just swaying completely, and that was not normal. 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. 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. Then their bedroom began to shake. "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. 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 made her way to a nearby stairwell and tried to exit on the pool deck, but the door was jammed. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". They have no luggage. Gabriel Nir narrowly escaped a first-floor apartment with his mother and 15-year-old sister. My family's having a hard time," Gabe said. Survivors of Surfside condo collapse speak out 03:45 A jagged five-foot chunk of flooring barely left enough room to escape. While delayed maintenance and structural complications are widely considered the cause of the collapse, manyquestions about the disasterstill remain. I left the cat behind, and I ran out. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. I can't imagine. Their car was destroyed in the building's garage. 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. I was sleeping, and I heard the loudest thunderclap Ive heard in my life times 100, he said. By Wilson Wong. The images that I saw looks like some place that had a bomb, Figueiredo said. How many people survived the Surfside condo collapse? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. She quickly grabbed her dog and tried to evacuate, along with other residents, down the only staircase that was available. "I was prepared for the whole building to come down," one survivor said. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. As they stepped onto the beach, Alfredo said he could hear the cries for help coming from the wreckage. "It was pitch black. I have a good job, and I'm not destitute. A total of 98 people died when the building partially collapsed on June 24, 2021. Gabe said his family knew many people in that community. "Good Morning America's" TJ Holmes asked them what the collapse sounded like. "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. 'Like it had been hit by a missile': Residents who survived the collapse describe being inside. 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Multiple survivors have recounted that their entire apartment was rattling before the collapse. Did anyone survive the collapse Surfside? The Associated Press reported that the $1 billion settlement would come from several sources, including insurance companies, engineering companies and a luxury condominium that had recently been built next door. Albert Aguero and his family had asimilarclose call. 1:33. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. - Latest victims in condo tower collapse include 2 children Officials said Thursday that they're making plans for the likely demolition of all parts of the building that didn't collapse. But, I mean, I can't get into the building. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. They managed to survive the collapse after Sara Nir heard loud noises and then saw the parking deck collapse. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And this is, of course, the middle of the night, so it's dark. She hasn't slept in a bed since the collapse a week ago. 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. They were screaming. And I should've gone back for her. Published I can only imagine how many people were in their apartments either sleeping or watching TV or just whatever, just living their lives. The people that lived there were good, good people that didn't deserve this. First published on July 14, 2021 / 2:21 PM. 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. Several of their pets also went missing. Recordings of 911 calls released from the scene of the Florida condominium building collapse reveal the chaos and . The Champlain Towers South Condo Association was preparing to start a new construction project to make updates and the condominium had been through extensive inspections, according to Kenneth Direktor, a lawyer for the association. And a warning, this is a harrowing conversation but an important one. "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. "For some reason, we all were doing things later than usual. Its not known. GARCIA-NAVARRO: But you know if you'd done that, you might have lost your life. The billionaire developer, DAMAC Chairman and Founder Hussain Sajwani,announced in a May 27 press release that he plans to build an ultra-luxurious condominium project. 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. The Champlain Towers South condominium was built in the 1980s and was up for its 40-year recertification, according to Surfside officials. 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 unclear exactly how many residents have been displaced, but those with insurance policies should recoup at least a portion of their losses. Michael Capponi, the president of a Miami-area nonprofit that for the past decade has helped victims of disasters from hurricanes to wildfires in the U.S. and abroad, said he has personally dealt with 50 people who lost homes in the building. I had this beautiful condo by the beach. The group came up against rubble blocking their path. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Where are you staying right now? 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. The familys condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. "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. appreciated. A Warner Bros. 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. We're here! "That was a very difficult night," Scheinhaus said. I left my cat behind. 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. The family reached the third floor, where they helped a young woman and an elderly residentget to the ground floor. 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. A massive search-and-rescue effort is underway following the partial collapse of a 12-story condominium building in Surfside, Miami, early June 24, 2021. 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. The disaster that killed at least 18 people, with more than 140 still missing, also rendered dozens of people homeless. Surfside is a few miles north of Miami Beach. 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.. Did you encounter any technical issues? NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Fires have flared up throughout the day, adding to the danger for the search and rescue teams, according to the official. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The building's shocking anddevastating collapselast month killed at least 97 people inside but the Nirs managed to get out alive. "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. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. Sara was at an event, Chani was babysitting and Gabe, a night owl, had gone to the gym. Victor Oquendo, Emily Shapiro, Ben Stein, Christine Theodorou and Nery Ynclan contributed to this report. 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. 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. During times like this, they are very good. So far, they have rescued 35 people who were trapped in the building and two others from beneath the rubble, according to Jadallah. While the family is still dealing with the trauma of that night, Gabe said he thinks fate kept them alive. "Of course, it's not ruled out," she added. 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. It's not known if those factors played a role in the collapse. 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. And in the pool area, you just see everything just sunk down below, underneath. In the early morning hours of June 24, Sara, Gabe and Chani were home but all three had a reason to be awake later than usual. Newsroom: (305) 795-2777. The announcement came after search and rescue operations were paused for hours because of growing signs the structure was dangerously unstable. "I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. There was people alive in there. Many lost cars, too, buried in the buildings underground parking garage. "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. It was like a sandstorm. Firefighterseventuallyrescued him from his fourth-floor balcony. Everything I owned was in that apartment, but I don't care. And my mom decided to stay later at her event, my sister decided to come back home late," he said. When he opened the . MIAMI (CBSMiami) - For the fortunate who survived the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in late June, getting basic help early on was simple. That was my home. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. And - so I went around the corner, and that's when I saw that the building was missing. 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. (Liyah Deveaux) By KELLI KENNEDY. 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. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. She convinced him to have a beer at the dining room table. 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. They are. "I don't have anything," said the 62-year-old survivor of the condominium building collapse just outside Miami. A total of 20 agencies are offering assistance to families affected by the collapse. 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. ", VIDEO SHOWS WATER GUSHING INTO GARAGE BEFORE SURFSIDE BUILDING FELL. After a failed attempt duringthe 2022 legislative session, lawmakers in May returned to Tallahasseeandpassed legislation designed to prevent a similar disaster. He said he has not spoken to Jonah and there no plans in the works to meet, adding that he wants to give the 15-year-old time and space. He followed the sound and located 15-year-old Jonah Handler, whose hand and fingers were visibly wiggling through the wreckage. I don't know because I grabbed nothing else. 2. 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. Associated Press. And I ran, and I ran. I'm very, very emotional. A Haitian man once survived for two weeks within the wreckage of a building after a . The June 24 collapse killed 97 people 96 bodies were pulled from the debris and one died at a hospital after being removed and one person who is missing has still not been identified among the remains. 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. He cannot help but wish, though, that a . About the . ", Workers load a stretcher with remains extricated from the rubble into a Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner van, near the Champlain Towers South condo building on Friday. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It sounds like you want answers. And there was an older lady and they were helping us out of the rubble. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. Only three survived the initial collapse. GARCIA-NAVARRO: There's been a lot of news coming out about why this might have happened. I think that it was a progressive evolution, and every hour that went by, we continued to add resources.. 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. 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. She did - to yoga with me. Yes, I want answers. ", "I'm very hopeful because we have the best team in the world. Its so difficult to put into words because of the people that are there, but Im grateful to be alive, he said. That is what they said, OK? ALVAREZ: It makes me think that the engineer did not properly do his work. A woman who survived the collapse of a condo building in Florida has shared how she escaped. She still hears the screams from that night. It wasnt about my home. "The building swayed like a sheet of paper. Crews searched for hours but were unable to find her, the report said. "Just don't know why we're here and the rest of the people aren't," Janette Aguero told ABC News. "The whole bedroom was shaking so violently that, honestly, I was prepared for the whole building to come down," Janette Aguero added. And 156 people are still unaccounted for. 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 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. 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. "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. And I ran out the front door. 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. "We decided to run to the other side of the building, the north side of the building, where there is another staircase," he said. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. 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.. 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. 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. 00:25. And it's just overwhelming, really.". Its not like her, and its not like me, and when I woke up at 5:30, I understood why.. "It could have been a very different thing," Janette Aguero said, her voice wavering with emotion. Scene at family reunification center, where 'it's the waiting that's getting to me' 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. 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. 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. 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. A class-action complaint updated on Nov. 10 alleges that the towers were badly damaged and destabilized because of excavation and construction at the neighboring 18-story Eighty Seven Park condominium, according to court documents. "Its nothing short of amazing.". Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Gabe told his sister to leave the apartment with him, and when they got to the lobby, they joined their mom and started to run. Usually it's hard for me to sleep because you have the screaming echoing in my mind and it just brings those flashbacks. "Pancake collapses tend to 'stack' floors on themselves, bringing all their weight down nearly square on the . "Three families that I know well," he . Surfside condo collapse victim Luis Pettengill played college tennis at Indianas Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 2007. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? It was about the life that I had there. Yes. 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. Thats what saved me. The identification brings the total death toll to. Yes. I was standing right here, De Moura said just outside of her home. Jadallah told reporters that at least 11 people were medically assessed and treated on site, four of whom were then transported to local hospitals. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp And I want you to know that in 2018, we had a board meeting. The family is now living in a hotel and dealing with the trauma of that night. So Sara went to the front lobby to talk to the security guard. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. 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." Deven Gonzalez, left, and her volleyball teammate Liyah Deveaux. "I don't think I've really processed what happened.". "People didn't want to answer they didn't know what was going on outside.". Come get us!'" The remains belonged to Estelle Hedaya, 54, according to a statement from the Miami-Dade Police.
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