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Firefighters in Miami-Dade County, Florida officially ended their recovery mission on Friday 29 days after the The Champlain Towers South building collapsed in Surfside, killing at least 97 people.
The county said in a press release Friday that during the nearly month-long search, which went from a rescue mission to a recovery mission on July 7, 96 victims were recovered from the site. of the collapse and one person died in hospital.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (R) said in a statement that while a victim has still not been found, the local fire and rescue service “would transfer search efforts and recovery to Miami-Dade Police Department “.
“The operation is ongoing and the MDPD will continue to search the debris pile for both human remains and personal items until they have completed a full further search for the debris,” the county said.
A video posted to social media by local ABC affiliate WPLG showed members of the fire and rescue task force met by family members as they officially left the site of the collapse Friday after nearly a month of 12-hour work to locate the people still missing.
Emergency responders were seen hugging their children, including a member of the task force who said she was eager to return home with her 4-month-old daughter.
#Voice of #Surfside: # Taskforce2 Leader Scott Dean kisses his sons Jax (6) and Landon (8) and gently kisses his baby Maddox, 1 year old. During the last month of work #Surfside he only spent one day at home with them. His wife Shaun, beaming proudly at him, says he is “our hero”. pic.twitter.com/axCRxZEiXW
– Christina Boomer Vazquez (@CBoomerVazquez) July 23, 2021
#Voice of #Surfside: For the last month of her 4 month old daughter’s life #FL # taskforce2 Member Nichole Notte worked 12-hour shifts in grueling work to locate the missing. She says the emotional toll was the hardest… dealing with what she saw, her baby Luca missing at home. pic.twitter.com/pBcphDguNo
– Christina Boomer Vazquez (@CBoomerVazquez) July 23, 2021
WPLG reported that members of the working group were led in procession to the Miami City Fire Department Headquarters, where they were greeted with a water cannon salute.
Cava, in her statement on Friday, praised the efforts of rescuers, who she said “ran into a collapsed building in the early morning hours of June 24 and have not stopped since.”
“These are true superheroes who have come together to serve this community in the aftermath of an unprecedented disaster – not only by leading the search, rescue and recovery operation, but through the care and the compassion they have shown to all families, doing all they can to bring closure to those who have lost loved ones, ”she added.
She also praised the police department, which she said “has led the investigation from the start and now continues the difficult job of continuing to sift through millions of pounds of debris, search for remains and personal items. to close families “.
City officials continued to brief residents throughout the rescue and recovery efforts, eventually identifying a total of 242 people since the 12-story building partially collapsed in the early morning of June 24.
Several lawsuits were filed against the condominium association of the building, alleging that it had not maintained the security of the structure and had not acted quickly to repair the damage, especially at the level of the condominium garage. .
A judge ruled on Wednesday that the victims and families of the condominium collapse would receive initial compensation of $ 150 million, along with the money that is expected to come from the sale of the property.
This week’s settlement is separate from the sums of money plaintiffs in the various lawsuits might receive from their cases.
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