SURFSIDE, Fla. – The body of a Miami firefighter’s daughter has been found in the ruins of the partially collapsed condo tower in Surfside.
One week after 55 units of Champlain Towers South crumbled in the middle of the night with families inside, rescue workers pulled a 7-year-old girl from the rubble early Friday. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez confirmed to the Miami Herald the girl was the daughter of a Miami firefighter who was at the recovery site supporting the rescue effort, though he was not digging.
Officials confirmed the deaths of the girl and one more person Friday morning. The death toll is now 20, and 128 people are still missing.
The firefighter and his brother, another firefighter, have kept a vigil since the night of the collapse, staying on the site every day until they found the girl. The city and other rescue workers did not released the names of the firefighter or the victims. Sources described an emotional recovery scene when the body was recovered. About 200 officers saluted as the girl was carried out.
“It was truly different and more difficult for our first responders,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “These men and women are paying an enormous human toll each and every day, and I ask that all of you please keep all of them in your thoughts and prayers. They truly represent the very best in all of us and we need to be there for them as they are here for us.”
In a statement Friday morning, Miami Fire Chief Joseph Zahralban asked the public to respect the firefighter’s and department’s privacy while they mourn. He confirmed the girl was recovered by members of the city’s urban search and rescue team, and Florida Task Force 2.
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,” he said.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has a young daughter and a 7-year-old son, said the said “the thought of losing him in this way is unimaginable for me and my family.
“This tragedy has haunted so many of us because so many of us know someone who has been in the building or affected by this tragedy,” Suarez said. “Now, not only do we know someone, this is someone who is part of our fire family.”
The firefighter was not on the pile searching through debris. Earlier news reports misreported the firefighter’s role in the effort.
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(Herald reporters Carli Teproff, David Ovalle and Douglas Hanks contributed to this report.)
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