An 88-year-old survivor of the Florida building collapse has tearfully reunited with her rescuer.
Grandmother Esther Gorfinkle wept as she recounted the events of last month, when the Miami condo she lived in came crashing down, killing 24 people and injuring scores more.
She told CNN that she had been in bed asleep in her apartment in the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside when she heard a crash. “All of a sudden, I hear ‘Boom!’ and my bed is shaking, I see my apartment is shaking,” she said.
Her neighbour, Alfredo Lopez, who lived on the floor above, was escaping the block with his family when he saw Ms Gorfinkle struggling in the stairwell.
“I remember Esther told me that her knee was bothering her and she wanted to stop,” he said.
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“I told her stopping is not an option.”
Mr Lopez hoisted his neighbour over his shoulder and carried her down several flights of stairs to the basement.
“He just picked me up,” said Ms Gorfinkle, through tears.
But when they arrived, they discovered they were still in danger. The garage’s ceiling had collapsed, water had flooded the ground and there were piles of rubble blocking their exit.
Helped by his son and other residents, Mr Lopez managed to lift his neighbour out of the building and down to safety on the beach.
Reunited days later, Mr Lopez and Ms Gorfinkle embraced after discussing their narrow escape.
“You need to help each other in bad times, ” said Esther. “I know I’m lucky, very lucky to be here with my family.”
As many as 24 people have been confirmed dead in the accident, with 121 people still unaccounted for as the rescue operation continues.
