"Just don't know why we're here and the rest of the people aren't," Janette Aguero told ABC News. At least two members of the family were seriously injured in the collapse one is still missing. 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. They have been hampered by torrential rain and fires and have had to move with excruciating care. While delayed maintenance and structural complications are widely considered the cause of the collapse, manyquestions about the disasterstill remain. As of Wednesday, officials said 75 people were confirmed dead and 90 of the victims have been identified. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Deven Gonzalez, left, and her volleyball teammate Liyah Deveaux. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers search through the rubble for survivors after a condo building partially collapsed in Surfside, Florida, on June 24, 2021. That was a very difficult night, Scheinhaus said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I have no family. I also want you to know that that couple - that they keep saying in the news that 1001 - it's a man and his wife - that the niece was visiting them - they were the nicest people, the nicest people, were always - I'm by myself. July 23, 2021 / 11:29 PM / AP. 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. And then we - I don't know where I came out to, but there were cars that were all, you know, with rocks and stuff on them, crashed. "I don't have anything," said the 62-year-old survivor of the condominium building collapse just outside Miami. The Champlain Towers South condominium was built in the 1980s and was up for its 40-year recertification, according to Surfside officials. 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.. 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. Their condo in Surfside had collapsed, and they had just narrowly survived. That was my home. And we went down the stairs. Albert Aguero and his family had asimilarclose call. "At that point, we knew it was a race against time because I didn't know if the rest of the building was coming [down].". 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. 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. "Good Morning America's" TJ Holmes asked them what the collapse sounded like. (AP), LIVE UPDATES: SURFSIDE CONDO BUILDING COLLAPSE. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. That was a very difficult night, Scheinhaus said. Still, friends and even complete strangers have been helping replace what she's lost. She kept telling me what to do. Multiple survivors have recounted that their entire apartment was rattling before the collapse. "We decided to run to the other side of the building, the north side of the building, where there is another staircase," he said. ", VIDEO SHOWS WATER GUSHING INTO GARAGE BEFORE SURFSIDE BUILDING FELL. Sara picked up Gabe on her way home and they all arrived back at the building just before 1 a.m., he said. As of Thursday . 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.. 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'm very hopeful because we have the best team in the world. About six months ago, the Nir family moved to Surfside, Florida. she told WPLG. 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. But, I mean, I can't get into the building. I can only imagine how many people were in their apartments either sleeping or watching TV or just whatever, just living their lives. ", 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. 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. We climbed out of rubble. Just because the body gets mangled doesnt mean thats what killed you, Caprara said. ALVAREZ: I am near the building. Did anyone survive the Surfside condo partial collapse? The remaining portion of the structure was demolished on July 4, and search efforts shifted into recovery mode. The Lopez family has lived for two decades on the street side of the condo that's still partially intact. Reach him at JDelgado@gannett.com. Susana Alvarez fled her home on the 10th floor of Champlain Towers South, escaping with her life and almost nothing else. "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. I wish I had had different shoes on, he said, noting he was wearing flip flops at the time. And my mom decided to stay later at her event, my sister decided to come back home late," he said. Neither he nor the company, in its press release, made any mention of the 98 people who perished. ", 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: Susana Alvarez, thank you very much for talking with us. I don't care about that. 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.". , even as police and forensic specialists continue working to identify human remains. The family had their choice of two units, Gabe said. Yes. "Of course, it's not ruled out," she added. 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. Most residents were asleep. "The whole bedroom was shaking so violently that, honestly, I was prepared for the whole building to come down," Janette Aguero added. Have a news tip? Son shares how family survived Surfside condo building collapse 03:11 About six months ago, the Nir family moved to Surfside, Florida. For five long . 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. She hasn't slept in a bed since the collapse a week ago. 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. ALVAREZ: Yes, I go every day. And that, to me, is the worst thing, and that's all I want back. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 Mavericks kneel during national anthem. How many people survived the Surfside condo collapse? (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. At that point, I turned around. 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. Eyal was out of town that fateful night. 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. . 903 of the Champlain Towers South. Balboa flagged a police officer and other rescuers, who helped pull the teenager out to safety. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So what does that make you think? Thats how we got out.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Families deserve to know what really happened to their loved ones. I dont even want to think about it, shesaid. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. "We said, 'We have to run, don't take anything,'" Longobardi recalled during an interview Friday on "GMA" with ABC News' T.J. Holmes. The final missing person in the condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida has been recovered and identified, according to the Miami-Dade County mayor. 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GARCIA-NAVARRO: And for more information or to report the status of Champlain Tower residents who are unaccounted for, please call 305-614-1819 or 305-993-1071. (CNN) After several weeks of searching and waiting for news on victims from the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, all 242 people have been accounted for. I look and the ceilings down, the concrete, the cement," Rosenthaltold NBC South Florida. A mother and daughter who survived the Florida condo collapse that killed 98 people describe how they survived falling when the floor gave way. I - and I just want my cat back. All rights reserved. "Nothing like this has ever been seen, at least not in the 40 years I've been doing this," Direktor told ABC News. Surfside building collapse victims Sophia Lpez Moreira and her husband Luis Pettengill died along with their three children and nanny, Leidy Vanessa Luna Villalba. "Some of them dont have insurance, and theyve lost everything they worked all their lives for. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It doesn't sound silly. My balcony doors opened. Susana Alvarez fled her home on the 10th floor of Champlain Towers South, escaping with her life and almost nothing else. And the stairs were all full of rubble. It's still unclear what caused the condominium, which has withstood decades of hurricanes, to partially collapse. 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. Those are our neighbors. 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 I could hear them screaming. While the family is still dealing with the trauma of that night, Gabe said he thinks fate kept them alive. I go as near as I can. 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. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. I was only thinking of getting out. And the town of Surfside said to us that the building was not in bad shape, that the building was not in bad shape. Officials confirmed they had recovered remains for each person who had been considered missing after the June 24 collapse. 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. "Pancake collapses tend to 'stack' floors on themselves, bringing all their weight down nearly square on the . That complete side of the building was not there, Mariantold the Miami Herald. Nobody had been found alive since immediately after the Florida building crumbled almost two weeks ago, killing at least 54. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It's not known if those factors played a role in the collapse. 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, partially collapsed in a matter of minutes. "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. Nearly 20 people were rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. 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. I went with the people. Updated on: July 14, 2021 / 9:25 PM 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. Always. 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. Rescue crews . "Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. 0:41. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. "We're just lost. De Moura lived in unit 1004. There was light, but it was the eeriness of it. Thats a horrifying thought, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told the outlet. 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. OfeOsin-Cohen, anotherfourth-floor resident who escaped,told NBC's "Today" showshewassound asleepwhen she hearda weird sound and feltthe building shake. I closed the balcony doors. This is a 1 in 10,000 year earthquake that hits Florida.. The couple lived in apartment No. The couple fled down the emergencystairwell, but couldn't open the lobby door. appreciated. "There's got to be a reason we came back later. And we sat there with the town of Surfside. Survivors recount harrowing escape from collapsed condo. Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela have all reported nationals who have been affected by the building collapse in Surfside, with more than a dozen still missing. "Im just grateful I made it out alive with my family," Nir said. Usually it's hard for me to sleep because you have the screaming echoing in my mind and it just brings those flashbacks. So far, one person is confirmed dead, 11 are injured and 99 people . 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. Yes. Did anyone survive the collapse Surfside? And there was maybe two apartments left in my floor, and I banged on their doors. The Dubai billionaires $120 million land purchase also will be used to pay families of victims and property owners. And there was water - a lot of water. 00:25. Sara and Eyal Nir have six kids and two of them, Gabe and Chani, moved into the condominium building with them. 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. 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 . "I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. What are the survivors - you know, you - who managed to get out, what are you talking about? Last Wednesday night, hours before the collapse, Erick De Moura was walking out of girlfriend Fernanda Figueiredos Miami Beach home to head to his condo in Champlain Towers South. Surfside is a few miles north of Miami Beach. There was nothing there, and people were screaming. She did - to yoga with me. 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. I don't know because I grabbed nothing else. We had to wait for fire rescue to come up with the ladder. 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. So Sara went to the front lobby to talk to the security guard. In the first 48 hours, we obviously did not have all the resources, Burkett, the mayor, told USA Today. And again, I'm staying in the area. 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. Like, you feel like an earthquake is happening right in front of you," he said. 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. Elected officials told the paper that first responders lacked adequate resources and the experience in dealing with such a massive and catastrophic incident. What we know about the building collapse so far. 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. They were screaming, help, help. Someone help us. What are you thinking at this moment? Gabe said it sounded like construction but in the middle of the night, it was suspect. "I was prepared for the whole building to come down," one survivor said. Im like, All right, Im in the middle of it. 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. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. That was my home. 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. I'm very, very emotional. 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 156 people are still unaccounted for. The family's condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". But on Thursday, exactly two weeks after the 12-story . Authorities tallied a total of 98 deaths in what is one of the worst building collapses in U.S. history. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. 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. June 2021: The collapse. 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. The structural engineer has been around for a while. 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.