A firefighter working tirelessly at the site of the Florida condo collapse on Thursday recovered the remains of his own daughter, according to tragic reports. The firefighter was among a crew of rescue workers searching the rubble for survivors. Yet one of the bodies he helped to pull from the ruin of Champlain Towers South was that of his own little girl. The grieving father is said to have wrapped his daughter in his jacket and placed a small US flag on the gurney.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on Friday: “It goes without saying that every night since this last Wednesday has been immensely difficult for everybody, and particularly the families that have been impacted.
“But last night was uniquely different,” Cava said. “These men and women are paying an enormous human toll each and every day.”
Cops and firefighters lined the road near the site of the building’s collapse as the dad and his brother – the girl’s uncle, who was also part of the rescue team – took the 7-year-old’s body off the pile.
Miami Fire Rescue Chief Joseph Zahralban explained: “We can confirm that a member of our City of Miami Fire Department family has lost his 7-year-old daughter in the collapse.
“She was recovered last night by members of our Urban Search and Rescue Team, Florida Task Force 2.”
He added: “We ask that you respect the privacy of the immediate family as well as our fire department family while we grieve our loss and support our own.”
At the time of writing, reports claim there may yet be as many as 121 people still trapped under the fallen wing of Champlain Towers South.
At the weekend, demolition crews initiated a string of explosions to bring down the building’s remains. Rescue teams have since been given the green light to resume their work.