De Moura lived in unit 1004. She kept telling me what to do. Rescue crews . It was like 'Titanic,'" she said. It's not known if those factors played a role in the collapse. Nearly 20 people were rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. ALVAREZ: They are. They were screaming. 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 . For five long . 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. There was people alive in there. Its a miracle. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And have you been back to the building? 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. 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. Yes. It's not like her, and it's not like me, and when I woke up at 5:30, I understood why." Multiple survivors have recounted that their entire apartment was rattling before the collapse. And their daughter was staying there. I don't know because I grabbed nothing else. I was standing right here, De Moura said just outside of her home. 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." (Sara Nir) RIGHT: A bedroom in the Nir's apartment, Unit 111, before the collapse . 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. 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. Victor Oquendo, Emily Shapiro, Ben Stein, Christine Theodorou and Nery Ynclan contributed to this report. They have no luggage. The 12-story residential complex in the small, beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach, partially collapsed before 1:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. 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. But the kindness of people has been phenomenal. I wish I had had different shoes on, he said, noting he was wearing flip flops at the time. 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 . Surfside Collapse: Crews Continue Search on Day 6, Death Toll at 11 Of the 136 condominium units, approximately 55 were destroyed along the northeast corridor, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Raide Jadallah. For now they are staying at a nearby hotel, the floor of their room cluttered with items donated by friends and strangers. 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 . 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 . An eyeglass store refilled her prescription, even though she never called it in. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! "The whole bedroom was shaking so violently that, honestly, I was prepared for the whole building to come down," Janette Aguero added. 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. 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, I want answers. ALVAREZ: It was. Then their bedroom began to shake. 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 . GARCIA-NAVARRO: It sounds like it was a very good community. GARCIA-NAVARRO: There's been a lot of news coming out about why this might have happened. At that point, I turned around. "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. Thats what saved me. That complete side of the building was not there, Mariantold the Miami Herald. 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. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It was an unimaginable situation. 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. Initially, 150 people were thought to be missing. 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. 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. Gabe said it sounded like construction but in the middle of the night, it was suspect. ALVAREZ: Yes. And again, I'm staying in the area. 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. Rest of collapsed Miami tower brought down with explosives; 121 still missing. Its about the lives that are there.. A Haitian man once survived for two weeks within the wreckage of a building after a . The Miami-Dade Police Department is leading an investigation into the incident. ALVAREZ: Yes, I go every day. She quickly grabbed her dog and tried to evacuate, along with other residents, down the only staircase that was available. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. "We are finding our way out until we get to some light.". And I should've gone back for her. 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. Surfside condo collapse victim Luis Pettengill played college tennis at Indianas Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 2007. Did anyone survive the Surfside condo partial collapse? 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. 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. Rattled, she got dressed, grabbed some essentials andbegan the trek out. ALVAREZ: Yes, but there was a full moon, so that made it even worse. 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 . I lived there by myself. "There is a chance that someone or some people can still survive this. MIAMI (CBSMiami) - For the fortunate who survived the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in late June, getting basic help early on was simple. All Rights Reserved. That was a very difficult night, Scheinhaus said. She did - to yoga with me. He said he awoke around 1:15 a.m. to a shaking building and swaying chandeliers. Everything I owned was in that apartment, but I don't care. Without hesitation, I did exactly what she told me. I ran to the balcony. When Rosenthal opened his front door, he saw his hallway had been blocked by debris from the collapse. Jason Delgado is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network-Florida. They managed to survive the collapse after Sara Nir heard loud noises and then saw the parking deck collapse. Accuracy and availability may vary. (AP). 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Son shares how family survived Surfside condo building collapse 03:11 About six months ago, the Nir family moved to Surfside, Florida. He said his mom liked the unit on the ground floor better and chose that one a decision that, six months later, played a role in their survival. The familys condo was on the ninth floor of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. 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. Miami Condo Building Collapse: Updates, Demolition Video - Intelligencer It was destroyed in the collapse, but thanks to the persistent nature of his significant other, he is still alive today. 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. "That was a very difficult night," Scheinhaus said. 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. Alfredo Lopez and his wife describe how they escaped the crumbling Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021. "It could have been a very different thing," Janette Aguero said, her voice wavering with emotion. I can't imagine. And that, to me, is the worst thing, and that's all I want back. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Eyal was out of town that fateful night. 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.