As they stepped onto the beach, Alfredo said he could hear the cries for help coming from the wreckage. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. When he opened the . But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. Susana Alvarez fled her home on the 10th floor of Champlain Towers South, escaping with her life and almost nothing else. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. They were the nicest couple. Several of their pets also went missing. I wish I had had different shoes on, he said, noting he was wearing flip flops at the time. I just ran out. Thats what saved me. For five long . There was nothing there, and people were screaming. "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. A 13-second video from inside the Miami condo collapse shows debris falling, the footage shaking and the the video cutting out. "Just don't know why we're here and the rest of the people aren't," Janette Aguero told ABC News. Jeff Pias, 60, was staying with his . 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. An aerial view showing a partially collapsed building in Surfside near Miami Beach, Fla., June 24, 2021. And my mom decided to stay later at her event, my sister decided to come back home late," he said. Paolo Longobardi speaks about escaping the collapsed building in Surfside, Fla. on "Good Morning America," June 25, 2021. 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. I don't even know why. 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. 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.. 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. Mia, another cat, had been lying at the feet of her owner on . What we know about the building that partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida. What are the survivors - you know, you - who managed to get out, what are you talking about? Those are people I say hello to. He ran to his apartment to drop off his dog, and when he returned to the wreckage, he heard screaming under the rubble. ", "It's a tremendous tragedy," he said, after taking a moment to collect himself. An eyeglass store refilled her prescription, even though she never called it in. Its a miracle. "Three families that I know well," he . ALVAREZ: Not to that extent. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. 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 . Published July 23, 2021 / 11:29 PM / AP. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much "I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. I mean, the bed was shaking. Surfside is a few miles north of Miami Beach. I left my cat behind. The building's shocking anddevastating collapselast month killed at least 97 people inside but the Nirs managed to get out alive. "It could have been a very different thing," Janette Aguero said, her voice wavering with emotion. Memorial services are planned throughout the day, including a private event with family members and survivorsat the precise moment of the collapse 1:22 a.m. A public ceremony is planned later in the day. 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. 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. "We're lucky to be here.". 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. And their daughter was staying there. It just makes us really grateful, but also sad. "We were just tremendously lucky.". 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. That was my home. She said she believed she is only one of two people from her floor who survived. Accuracy and availability may vary. "We decided to run to the other side of the building, the north side of the building, where there is another staircase," he said. She kept telling me what to do. Miami, FL 33141 She hasn't slept in a bed since the collapse a week ago. And at that point, I got up, and I said, wow. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Aguero, his wife and two children, were visiting South Florida from New Jersey. Nicholas Balboa was walking his dog around midnight when he felt the ground shake. (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. We're going to hear now from one of the survivors of that collapse. With her dog in her arms, she had to climb through rubble and over cars to escape. I look and the ceilings down, the concrete, the cement," Rosenthaltold NBC South Florida. What did you see? Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Steve Rosenthal said he was woken up when he heard a loud noise and felt his unit shaking. "That was a very difficult night . Support . When Rosenthal opened his front door, he saw his hallway had been blocked by debris from the collapse. Rattled, she got dressed, grabbed some essentials andbegan the trek out. Survivors of Surfside condo collapse speak out 03:45 I can't even explain it. Condo building's collapse prompts historic search-and-rescue response 4:54 p.m. 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. It was about the life that I had there. Yes. Usually it's hard for me to sleep because you have the screaming echoing in my mind and it just brings those flashbacks. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava speaks to ABC News for an interview on "Good Morning America" on June 25, 2021. The 101-pageproposal included provisions helping ensure corporations stay up to speed on maintenance and inspections. Nir, a recent college graduate, was living there while he looked for a job and considered medical school. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The 25-year-old caught up with his mom and sister and they continued to run from the scene. ALVAREZ: Yes. I go as near as I can. ALVAREZ: I can't imagine. ", VIDEO SHOWS WATER GUSHING INTO GARAGE BEFORE SURFSIDE BUILDING FELL. ALVAREZ: They are. All rights reserved. 0:00. 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. Your cat's name was Mia (ph), right? Sara and Eyal Nir have six kids and two of them, Gabe and Chani, moved into the condominium building with them. "We lost everything, so there's so many things that your mind goes crazy. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. SUSANA ALVAREZ: Not well. A few seconds later, his bed and room began to shake and Rosenthal jumped out of bed to see what was happening. We've received your submission. 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. 2. And we sat there with the town of Surfside. 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." 'Like it had been hit by a missile': Residents who survived the collapse describe being inside. 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 . The condo collapse in Surfside, Florida has a Loudoun County man relieving and retelling his own horror story, after he was rescued from an apartment building collapse 20 years ago. The couple fled down the emergencystairwell, but couldn't open the lobby door. Please enter valid email address to continue. Thats how we got out.. That's when the family started hearing loud noises. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Alvarez is still dealing with the trauma. Have you been able to sort of gather and sort of think about what's next? Deven survived the partial collapse of a condo tower near Miami. she told WPLG. And I don't know - we just - we climbed out of rubble. The Champlain Towers South condominium was built in the 1980s and was up for its 40-year recertification, according to Surfside officials. The announcement came after search and rescue operations were paused for hours because of growing signs the structure was dangerously unstable. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what does that make you think? 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. The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident. Recordings of 911 calls released from the scene of the Florida condominium building collapse reveal the chaos and . 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. "I feel like I'm mourning every minute for someone in the building," she said. Those are our neighbors. So far, only five people have been confirmed dead. Im like, All right, Im in the middle of it. 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. 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 . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (Sara Nir) RIGHT: A bedroom in the Nir's apartment, Unit 111, before the collapse . Jason Delgado is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network-Florida. This is a 1 in 10,000 year earthquake that hits Florida.. I was sleeping, and I heard the loudest thunderclap Ive heard in my life times 100, he said. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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He thought the cause of the collapse was a gas explosion and wanted to get a safe distance away. It was not a clap of thunder and it wasn't a storm; it was something else," Albert Aguero told ABC News' T.J. Holmes in an interview Friday on "Good Morning America.". "There's got to be a reason we came back later. Thats a horrifying thought, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told the outlet. We're here! Did anyone survive the Surfside condo partial collapse? There's no building.". But on Thursday, exactly two weeks after the 12-story . We had to wait for fire rescue to come up with the ladder. 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. The group came up against rubble blocking their path. Meanwhile, another 120 people have been accounted for, according to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. 903 of the Champlain Towers South. GARCIA-NAVARRO: You did the only thing you could. Live Updates: Miami-Area Condo Collapse Rescue crews race to find scores of people still missing in the wreckage Binx The Cat, A Survivor Of The Florida Condo Collapse, Was Reunited With His Family An attached copy of the policy showed limits between $1 million and $2 million. Praying that the building didnt fall on me, collapse on me. "I walked out with my pajamas and my phone.". The teens rescue was one of at least 37 people rescued the day of the collapse. Many families are still holding out hope that their loved ones will be found alive. 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. She quickly grabbed her dog and tried to evacuate, along with other residents, down the only staircase that was available. Did Mavericks kneel during national anthem. A Haitian man once survived for two weeks within the wreckage of a building after a . Rescuers are in a desperate bid to try and find survivors in Surfside, Fla., amid the wreckage of the Champlain Towers condo building. Did anyone survive the Surfside collapse? Champlain Towers South is the 13-story beachfront building that collapsed June 24. Instead she's been sleeping in a chair, constantly thinking of the victims who couldn't escape. I dont even want to think about it, shesaid. 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. I (opened) the doors and a wall of dust hit me," she said in the filing. , even as police and forensic specialists continue working to identify human remains. That is what they said, OK? ALVAREZ: I want answers. "It was pitch black. It's not known if those factors played a role in the collapse. The familys condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. I could hear people crying and screaming for help, Lopez told the Herald. I could hear them screaming. And I - my apartment is in the front of the building, and it's right across the elevators. Albert Aguero, his wife and two children, who are from New Jersey and on vacation in South . They were both identified by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26. All rights reserved. I really didn't think anything of it. 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. Rosenthal said it is a miracle that he managed to escape because many of his neighbors' apartments were on the L-shaped tower that collapsed. 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.. 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. Which of the following structure contains osteocytes? And in the pool area, you just see everything just sunk down below, underneath. When I opened the door to my apartment, it leads to a long hallway, and all I saw was debris, Osin-Cohen told"Today. As many as nine victims, or about 10% of the death toll, remained alive and buried under the mountains of debris after parts of the 12-story residential building in Surfside, a quiet neighborhood just outside of Miami Beach, caved in on June 24 around 1:25 a.m. And I ran out the front door. "People were yelling, 'help me, get me out, help me.'". ALVAREZ: I am near the building. During times like this, they are very good. "I lost everything," Alvarez said, "and it doesnt mean anything to me.". Gabriel Nir narrowly escaped a first-floor apartment with his mother and 15-year-old sister. 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. Susana, I want to ask you, first of all, how are you doing? 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.. Schechter said as soon as she got out, all she could think about were her neighbors that might have still been inside. Miami condo owners warned of major structural damage in 2018. We reached out to a Surfside spokesperson for a response but did not hear back. We talked until 1 in the morning, De Moura said. That complete side of the building was not there, Mariantold the Miami Herald. ", 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. Mr. Candiotti, 67, knows he was lucky to have survived the collapse last month of the condo building in Surfside, Fla. At least 97 of his neighbors did not. According to The Telegraph, another Haitian man survived underneath a pile of rubble for over three weeks by drinking sewage water . And - so I went around the corner, and that's when I saw that the building was missing. ", 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. "We were screaming 'Help! NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Nicholas Balboa said he had been walking his dog past midnight on June 24 when he felt the ground shake and saw that a major section of the condo complex had collapsed. I - and I just want my cat back. What we know about the building collapse so far. Albert Aguero and his family had asimilarclose call. All I saw was cement, rubble, wood, people yelling Help me,' Rosenthal said. Multiple survivors have recounted that their entire apartment was rattling before the collapse. 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. ALVAREZ: I was only thinking of myself. Dubai-based DAMAC Properties won a $120 million bid to acquire the 1.8 acres. I have friends in Surfside. Thanks for contacting us. I was standing right here, De Moura said just outside of her home. And we went down the stairs. And there were no elevators, just open holes. / CBS News. Of the 136 condominium units, approximately 55 were destroyed along the northeast corridor, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raide Jadallah. 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. The apartments were gone.. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Dubai billionaires $120 million land purchase also will be used to pay families of victims and property owners. As of Wednesday, officials said 75 people were confirmed dead and 90 of the victims have been identified. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Did you encounter any technical issues? (AP). All rights reserved. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. At least two members of the family were seriously injured in the collapse one is still missing. ", "I'm very hopeful because we have the best team in the world. Balboa flagged a police officer and other rescuers, who helped pull the teenager out to safety. The report from the firm of Morabito Consultants said the ground-floor pool deck was resting on a concrete slab that had major structural damage and needed to be extensively repaired, and uncovered abundant cracking and spalling of concrete columns, beams and walls in the parking garage. I ran to the balcony. ALVAREZ: I'll be all right. 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 . Everything I owned was in that apartment, but I don't care. We climbed out of rubble. A pool contractor who visited the building just two days before the collapse took photographs showing a wet floor, cracked concrete and severely corroded reinforcing steel in the building's pool equipment room, CBS News' David Begnaud reported. ABC News' Eliana Larramendia Boyd, Kendall Coughlin, Alexandra Faul, Christopher Godburn, Joshua Hoyos, Aaron Katersky, Rachel Katz, Katie Kindelan,. A Florida judge on Thursday approvedasettlement of more than $1 billionto families who lost loved ones in the collapse of the beachfront condominium 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. The flooded garage was located underneath the building's pool. "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. The family reached the third floor, where they helped a young woman and an elderly residentget to the ground floor. Officials confirmed they had recovered remains for each person who had been considered missing after the June 24 collapse. Fires have flared up throughout the day, adding to the danger for the search and rescue teams, according to the official. 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. And there was water - a lot of water. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And have you been back to the building? 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. "We cannot say what is the reason for that from the satellite images but we can say there was movement here.". "I don't have anything," said the 62-year-old survivor of the condominium building collapse just outside Miami. 00:49. 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. "I'm on the phone with 911. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. An engineer apparently warned the building's condo association of major structural damage back in 2018. I thought it was a wonderful property because I was so happy. 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 . Nearly 20 people were rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. 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 can't imagine. "Of course, it's not ruled out," she added. So far, there is no evidence of foul play, according to Levine Cava. 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. I mean, did you have any idea that the building was unsound? Firefighters on Friday declared the end of their search for bodies at the site of a collapsed Florida condo building, concluding a month of painstaking work removing . I had just taken all of my mother's pictures - all the pictures of our family to that condo two days before that because I was going to sort them all out. He and his wife got the kids from their beds and ran for their lives. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Mysterious Cases of Men Found Dead After Leaving NYC Gay Bars Ruled Homicides: ME. About four hours later, he checked his phone and found out what had happened to his home and neighbors. The whole experience, she told Today, was really surreal., Unfortunately, we did hear screams. Discovery Company. Your email address will not be published. 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. But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. And I feel like fate really God really came and saved us," he said. Eyal was out of town that fateful night. Survivors recount harrowing escape from collapsed condo. I have a good job, and I'm not destitute. Rest of collapsed Miami tower brought down with explosives; 121 still missing. Im in a dream in California. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. All rights reserved. But, at this point, nothing to indicate that.". 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. 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. A family who survived the Surfside condominium collapse said they were mere feet from losing their lives. While delayed maintenance and structural complications are widely considered the cause of the collapse, manyquestions about the disasterstill remain. 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. Florida Gov. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. It was destroyed in the collapse, but thanks to the persistent nature of his significant other, he is still alive today. Its about the lives that are there.. My family's having a hard time," Gabe said. 1401 79th Street Causeway Miami-Dade County officials are aware of the study and are "looking into" it, Levine Cava 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. The identification brings the total death toll to. The family had their choice of two units, Gabe said. And it was just a lot - what looked like smoke, which must've been dust.