Search for Florida apartment collapse victims turns into recovery effort

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The search for the collapsed apartment building in Surfside, Florida, has shifted from a rescue effort to a recovery operation. At least 54 people have been confirmed dead and 86 are still missing, nearly two weeks after the building collapsed in the middle of the night, Mayor Daniela Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County said.

“We have really exhausted all the options available to us in the search and rescue mission,” Kafa said on Wednesday, adding that families of the victims were informed of the “very difficult decision” earlier today. “Sharing this news with the families, this evening, who are still missing their loved ones has been devastating.”

The death toll from the Surfside apartment collapse jumped dramatically on Wednesday as 18 more bodies were pulled from the rubble. As crews discovered more casualties, officials said they saw no signs that any of those recovered could have survived the initial collapse.

“The probability of someone surviving is close to zero. They may be right, but in the end it is still God who is responsible,” said Charles Burkett, mayor of Surfside. “The miracle is still possible.”

The transition from rescue to recovery was marked by a moment of silence captured on video and shared by the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Team.

In honor of the lives lost, rescue teams observed a moment of silence and prayer near the collapse of the Surfside Building. With heavy hearts, we begin our search and recovery efforts, and will continue to do our best as our commitment remains to reunite families with loved ones. pic.twitter.com/FJ7GKWXhXn

– Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) July 8, 2021

Among the missing is the surviving high school volleyball star’s father. Sixteen-year-old Devin Gonzalez was among the first to be rescued after the collapse. She had broken ribs and a broken leg. Her relatives said she takes her first steps with the help of a walker.

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When Gonzalez was rescued, she told the firefighters she should be competing in a major tournament soon. She expressed a similar concern to her volleyball coach, Amy Morgan.

“I apologized for not working out the same day it happened,” Morgan said. “That’s it. It was just like that.”

Gonzalez’s mother, Angela, was also rescued, but her father, Edgar, was never found. “Edgar is a wonderful person, and I feel bad for her for not having her father in these wonderful years, you know, who should have been there,” said Morgan.

Photos: Florida beach apartment collapses 32 photos

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