They always wanted me to go out, ride bikes with them. I mean, the bed was shaking. The group came up against rubble blocking their path. She kept telling me what to do. Gabriel Nir narrowly escaped a first-floor apartment with his mother and 15-year-old sister. "I don't have anything," said the 62-year-old survivor of the condominium building collapse just outside Miami. One year later, heres what we know so far. "We lost everything, so there's so many things that your mind goes crazy. I can't imagine. 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 pitch black. There was people alive in there. 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. But on Thursday, exactly two weeks after the 12-story . And again, I'm staying in the area. ALVAREZ: Not to that extent. Have a news tip? ", "It's a tremendous tragedy," he said, after taking a moment to collect himself. When Rosenthal opened his front door, he saw his hallway had been blocked by debris from the collapse. 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. But I am homeless right now. 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. Paolo Longobardi speaks about escaping the collapsed building in Surfside, Fla. on "Good Morning America," June 25, 2021. Just white, concrete dust," he said. I was going to retire there. They're working around the clock and they're using every possible tool," she added. As the search for survivors enters its fifth day, those who escaped are recounting harrowing tales of survival after last week's condo collapse in Surfside.At least 10 people have been confirmed . I mean, I know that sounds silly, but that's all I want, my cat back. ALVAREZ: Yes, but there was a full moon, so that made it even worse. The disaster that killed at least 18 people, with more than 140 still missing, also rendered dozens of people homeless. "There is a chance that someone or some people can still survive this. A total of 98 people died when the building partially collapsed on June 24, 2021. We talked until 1 in the morning, De Moura said. I don't care about that. "I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. 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. 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 . 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. The death . But her mother, Angela Gonzalez, and her sister, Deven Gonzalez, did survive. 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 . she told WPLG. 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. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. 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. The action authorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in Miami-Dade County," according to a statement from the White House. And it felt like the longest thunder I had ever heard in my life. 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. They have been hampered by torrential rain and fires and have had to move with excruciating care. Steve Rosenthal said he was woken up when he heard a loud noise and felt his unit shaking. Always. He said the Surfside investment is its first U.S. project. Rosenthal is not the only survivor who has shared their story. 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. The family had just moved in six months ago. 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. "Nothing like this has ever been seen, at least not in the 40 years I've been doing this," Direktor told ABC News. Like, you feel like an earthquake is happening right in front of you," he said. It's like a motor it just goes fast, fast, fast," he said, adding that they don't even know where to start. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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. A mother So far, there is no evidence of foul play, according to Levine Cava. That was a very difficult night, Scheinhaus said. And the fire escape door wouldn't open, but I saw people on the other side, and I banged. Search efforts . Now she has moved in with family members and assumes what's left of the building will be torn down with no chance to recover belongings. She hasn't slept in a bed since the collapse a week ago. Their condo in Surfside had collapsed, and they had just narrowly survived. Which of the following structure contains osteocytes? After he saw the damage on TV, De Moura said he had to drive his car to the condo building to see it for himself. "We were screaming 'Help! He followed the sound and located 15-year-old Jonah Handler, whose hand and fingers were visibly wiggling through the wreckage. I was standing right here, De Moura said just outside of her home. 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. 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. Its the only way they can heal.. Survivors recount harrowing escape from collapsed condo. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers search through the rubble for survivors after a condo building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, on June 24, 2021. "It's just sad. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. The NIST received $22 million in supplemental funding from Congress to complete its investigation. The uncle said that Jonah was out of the hospital with only minor injuries, according to Balboa. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. Come get us!'" 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. The 25-year-old caught up with his mom and sister and they continued to run from the scene. What are the survivors - you know, you - who managed to get out, what are you talking about? Usually it's hard for me to sleep because you have the screaming echoing in my mind and it just brings those flashbacks. He and his wife got the kids from their beds and ran for their lives. 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. Scene at family reunification center, where 'it's the waiting that's getting to me' 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 . 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 collapsed early Thursday morning. "Good Morning America's" TJ Holmes asked them what the collapse sounded like. As of Wednesday, officials said 75 people were confirmed dead and 90 of the victims have been identified. Rescue workers continued digging feverishly for a sixth day Tuesday, after stressing Monday that they could still find survivors in the rubble of a collapsed Surfside condo building. "There's got to be a reason we came back later. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Neither he nor the company, in its press release, made any mention of the 98 people who perished. 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. "People were yelling, 'help me, get me out, help me.'". 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. (AP). 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 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. I couldnt tell where it was coming from.. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. "We tried knocking on people's doors," Gabe said. "We're lucky to be here.". And it was just a lot - what looked like smoke, which must've been dust. 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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. I went with the people. That is what they said, OK? Raysa Rodriguez recounts a harrowing escape from her unit at the collapsed Surfside condominium, and . Discovery Company. 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. The Dubai billionaires $120 million land purchase also will be used to pay families of victims and property owners. A family who survived the Surfside condominium collapse said they were mere feet from losing their lives. "There was no . or redistributed. Still, officials had resisted abandoning the search-and-rescue effort. As of Thursday . Alfredo Lopez and his wife describe how they escaped the crumbling Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021. July 5, 2021 4 . And their daughter was staying there. Aguero, his wife and two children, were visiting South Florida from New Jersey. "That was a very difficult night," Scheinhaus said. She then went down to the garage to discover it was flooded with water upto her ankles. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The familys condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. He cannot help but wish, though, that a . MIAMI (CBSMiami) - For the fortunate who survived the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in late June, getting basic help early on was simple. He ran to his apartment to drop off his dog, and when he returned to the wreckage, he heard screaming under the rubble. About four hours later, he checked his phone and found out what had happened to his home and neighbors. When I opened the door to my apartment, it leads to a long hallway, and all I saw was debris, Osin-Cohen told"Today. They were both identified by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26. 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. Hes based in Tallahassee. 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. 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. I can only imagine how many people were in their apartments either sleeping or watching TV or just whatever, just living their lives. They were screaming, help, help. Susana Alvarez fled her home on the 10th floor of Champlain Towers South, escaping with her life and almost nothing else. Thats what saved me. They were always, always offering assistance. I dont even want to think about it, shesaid. "We're just lost. The remaining portion of the structure was demolished on July 4, and search efforts shifted into recovery mode. 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. Rescue crews . 'Like it had been hit by a missile': Residents who survived the collapse describe being inside. I just ran out. An engineer apparently warned the building's condo association of major structural damage back in 2018. 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. When he opened the . 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. 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. The flooded garage was located underneath the building's pool. 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." 0:00. You couldn't see anything. (AP), LIVE UPDATES: SURFSIDE CONDO BUILDING COLLAPSE. 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. . But subsidence, or the gradual sinking of land, likely would not on its own cause a building to collapse, according to Wdowinski, whose expertise is in space geodesy, natural hazards and sea level rise. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And this is, of course, the middle of the night, so it's dark.