They were screaming, help, help. A woman who survived the collapse of a condo building in Florida has shared how she escaped. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "We're just lost. A mother and daughter who survived the Florida condo collapse that killed 98 people describe how they survived falling when the floor gave way. It's not like her, and it's not like me, and when I woke up at 5:30, I understood why." 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. "I lost everything," Alvarez said, "and it doesnt mean anything to me.". "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. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It was an unimaginable situation. A 15-year-old boy who miraculously survived the Miami condo collapse was sitting in his bedroom next to his mother when the building gave way and she was killed, according to a lawsuit filed by . I left the cat behind, and I ran out. And 156 people are still unaccounted for. I left my cat behind. "I said, 'Oh my god, where's the building? Still, officials had resisted abandoning the search-and-rescue effort. Thats a horrifying thought, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told the outlet. 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. But, at this point, nothing to indicate that.". Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Published ", "It's a tremendous tragedy," he said, after taking a moment to collect himself. 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. The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident. At least 10 people have been confirmed dead, but over 150 are still missing as of Monday afternoon. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Crews searched for hours but were unable to find her, the report said. And it was just a lot - what looked like smoke, which must've been dust. When Rosenthal opened his front door, he saw his hallway had been blocked by debris from the collapse. De Moura lived in unit 1004. It was like 'Titanic,'" she said. SUSANA ALVAREZ: Not well. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. 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. 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. Rattled, she got dressed, grabbed some essentials andbegan the trek out. 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 . Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Albert Aguero and his family had asimilarclose call. 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. Your email address will not be published. Survivors recount harrowing escape from collapsed condo. We've received your submission. But, I mean, I can't get into the building. ALVAREZ: Yes, but there was a full moon, so that made it even worse. Survivors recounted hearing signs of the collapse and attempting to escape the building early Thursday morning. Susana Alvarez fled her home on the 10th floor of Champlain Towers South, escaping with her life and almost nothing else. Yes, I want answers. I could hear people crying and screaming for help, Lopez told the Herald. 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. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. "Pancake collapses tend to 'stack' floors on themselves, bringing all their weight down nearly square on the . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. I won't leave. "Nothing's ruled out. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Balboa said he told the uncle, Sorry I couldnt get to his sister faster.. ", 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. (Sara Nir) RIGHT: A bedroom in the Nir's apartment, Unit 111, before the collapse . Jen Psaki offers to help coordinate rescue of US citizens Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Prince Harry says psychedelics are fundamental part of his life, Inside Scheana Shay, Raquel Leviss heated confrontation about Tom Sandoval affair, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. Direktor noted that he hadn't been warned of any structural issues with the building or about the land it was built on. Her apartment was on the 10th floor and she knew many people in the building she had lived in for years. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. "I feel like I'm mourning every minute for someone in the building," she said. Have you been able to sort of gather and sort of think about what's next? 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. The official also told ABC News it's been difficult to determine how many people were in the collapsed section of the building, partly due to the fact that there isn't an on-scene management company that keeps track. Their condo in Surfside had collapsed, and they had just narrowly survived. In the first 48 hours, we obviously did not have all the resources, Burkett, the mayor, told USA Today. "They are going to basically have to start all over again," Capponi said. 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. "The building swayed like a sheet of paper. They were always, always offering assistance. Still, friends and even complete strangers have been helping replace what she's lost. They always wanted me to go out, ride bikes with them. "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. "Some of them dont have insurance, and theyve lost everything they worked all their lives for. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 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. All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. Usually it's hard for me to sleep because you have the screaming echoing in my mind and it just brings those flashbacks. 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. About three dozen people were able to escape from the portion of the building that remained standing. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. It was destroyed in the collapse, but thanks to the persistent nature of his significant other, he is still alive today. 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. "Of course, it's not ruled out," she added. I went with the people. I want major answers. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. 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. ABC News' Eliana Larramendia Boyd, Kendall Coughlin, Alexandra Faul, Christopher Godburn, Joshua Hoyos, Aaron Katersky, Rachel Katz, Katie Kindelan,. 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. 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. 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. Have a news tip? A 13-second video from inside the Miami condo collapse shows debris falling, the footage shaking and the the video cutting out. I think that it was a progressive evolution, and every hour that went by, we continued to add resources.. The couple said their 22-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter were "mere feet away" from the part of the building that collapsed. Officials confirmed they had recovered remains for each person who had been considered missing after the June 24 collapse. 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. First responders have not heard any voices coming from the pile but have continuously picked up sounds, according to Jadallah. What did you see? Surfside building collapse victims Sophia Lpez Moreira and her husband Luis Pettengill died along with their three children and nanny, Leidy Vanessa Luna Villalba. And that, to me, is the worst thing, and that's all I want back. I looked forward, which is where the elevator shaft is, and it was just a hole," Albert Aguero recalled. 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. When I opened the door to my apartment, it leads to a long hallway, and all I saw was debris, Osin-Cohen told"Today. I really didn't think anything of it. All I saw was cement, rubble, wood, people yelling Help me,' Rosenthal said. But I am homeless right now. Did anyone survive the Surfside condo partial collapse? The announcement came after search and rescue operations were paused for hours because of growing signs the structure was dangerously unstable. The collapsed condo was about to begin . As of Wednesday, officials said 75 people were confirmed dead and 90 of the victims have been identified. 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'm on the phone with 911. I could hear them screaming. Did anyone survive the Surfside collapse? Your cat's name was Mia (ph), right? It's like a motor it just goes fast, fast, fast," he said, adding that they don't even know where to start. 1:33. "There's got to be a reason we came back later. 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. I have a good job, and I'm not destitute. At least 34 lawsuits have been filed by families of victims since the collapse, accusing building officials, the condo board and others of ignoring structural defects. The images that I saw looks like some place that had a bomb, Figueiredo said. "I don't have anything," said the 62-year-old survivor of the condominium . She kept telling me what to do. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what does that make you think? That was my home. You feel sorry for them, and I wish we could've done more for them.". "We cannot say what is the reason for that from the satellite images but we can say there was movement here.". Hes based in Tallahassee. And a warning, this is a harrowing conversation but an important one. I look and the ceilings down, the concrete, the cement," Rosenthaltold NBC South Florida. And I want you to know that in 2018, we had a board meeting. 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. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Son shares how family survived condo collapse, Son shares how family survived Surfside condo building collapse. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. CNNs Eric Levenson contributed to this report. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Its the only way they can heal.. My family's having a hard time," Gabe said. "There was no . I dont even want to think about it, shesaid. The familys condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. Nearly 20 people were rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Fires have flared up throughout the day, adding to the danger for the search and rescue teams, according to the official. Thats what saved me. First responders arrive at the partially . 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. Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Most people who have contacted his nonprofit for help lived in the part that is still standing but assume their homes and anything inside are a complete loss. The cause of the collapse is still being investigated, but evidence soon emerged of a history of maintenance and structural concerns at the building, which was just beginning a multimillion-dollar repair project. Susana Alvarez is 62. They were both identified by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26. 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.". And I - my apartment is in the front of the building, and it's right across the elevators. All rights reserved. June 2021: The collapse. ALVAREZ: I can't imagine. We talked until 1 in the morning, De Moura said. And I ran out the front door. Miami condo owners warned of major structural damage in 2018. 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. Profiles of the 98 victims of the Surfside collapse in Florida | Miami Herald. She said she believed she is only one of two people from her floor who survived. 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 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. What are you thinking at this moment? July 5, 2021 4 . ", She made her way to a nearby stairwell and tried to exit on the pool deck, but the door was jammed. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. A family who survived the Surfside condominium collapse said they were mere feet from losing their lives. 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. Neither he nor the company, in its press release, made any mention of the 98 people who perished. 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. He said the Surfside investment is its first U.S. project. Firefighters officially ended their search for bodies in the debris of the collapsed Surfside condo building on Friday OfeOsin-Cohen, anotherfourth-floor resident who escaped,told NBC's "Today" showshewassound asleepwhen she hearda weird sound and feltthe building shake. Anyone with family members from the condominium who are either safe or still missing is urged to call 305-614-1819 to account for them. What we know about the building that partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida. Nobody had been found alive since immediately after the Florida building crumbled almost two weeks ago, killing at least 54. And it's just overwhelming, really.". Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. Discovery Company. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. "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. How many people survived the Surfside condo collapse? But the kindness of people has been phenomenal. A survivor of the Florida condo collapse said she had to climb through the rubble in the dark with her dog until they found light. 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. "I know that they are hopeful, so we are hopeful as well.". GARCIA-NAVARRO: But you know if you'd done that, you might have lost your life. Only three survived the initial collapse. Just white, concrete dust," he said. The rumble was followed by a loud crash and debris as part of a condo complex collapsed in Surfside . First published on July 14, 2021 / 2:21 PM. They chose to live in Champlain Towers South. "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. Schechter said as soon as she got out, all she could think about were her neighbors that might have still been inside. The Champlain Towers South condominium was built in the 1980s and was up for its 40-year recertification, according to Surfside officials. I was going to retire there. 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 . 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 . MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Two residents of Champlain Towers South are sharing their stories of survival, with one resident describing what he felt inside the building, and one who said his girlfriend wanting to spend more time with him is what saved his life.