On Friday, rescuers used a variety of tools, including big machines, small buckets, microphones, and their own hands to clear the debris from the Champlain Towers South (12-story) building. Rachel Spiegel was eager for information on her mother Judy Spiegel (66), who lived on the sixth level.
Spiegel stated, “I’m just praying to a miracle.” “We are heartbroken that she was even inside the building.”
Jeanne Ugarte was struggling to accept the tragic end she feared for Juan and Ana Mora, long-time friends, and their son Juan Jr. who were visiting them in their condo at The Tower.
Ugarte stated, “I know they won’t find them (alive),” It’s been too long.
The hope was in how fast crews could finish their difficult, but delicate task in Surfside. This is just a few miles north from Miami’s South Beach.
Raide Jadallah, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief, stated that “any time we hear a noise, we concentrate on that area.” It could be steel twisting or debris falling down. But it is not specific sounds like tapping or human voices.
Two heavy cranes used large claws to remove debris from the pile. They were buffeted by wind gusts and rain intermittently. The site was covered in a thick smoke cloud.
After the machines stopped, firefighters wearing protective masks and carrying red buckets climbed up the pile to take smaller pieces out by hand. This was in the hope of finding trapped people. Rescuers were submerged in water to reach the bottom of a parking garage and used power tools below to cut through the structure.
Charles Burkett, Surfside Mayor, stated that crews did everything they could to save as many people possible.
He said, “We don’t have a problem with resources, but we have a problem with luck.”
Officials stated that they don’t know the exact number of residents or visitors who were inside the building at the time it collapsed, but that they were working to locate 159 people they considered missing and could have been there.
People awaiting information about the search watched as flowers were placed on a fence next to the tower. They hugged and clasped their hands while waiting for news. Congregants prayed in a synagogue near the tower, where some of their members were missing.
