The final victim of the Surfside Condo Collapse was found on Friday, bringing the recovery effort to a close. Family members identified 54-year-old Estelle Hedaya and confirmed they can finally begin to heal from this tragic accident. Officials say the site is mostly cleared and the debris has been moved to an alternate place.
Meanwhile, first responders have finally been relieved of their responsibilities and are free to go home to their families. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava thanked them for all their valiant work.
“To each and every one of you, from the bottom of my heart, you have shown the world what superheroes look like,” she said.
County officials, family members and first responders came together on Sunday to hold a concert in memory of the lives lost in Champlain Towers South. The names of the 97 victims were read aloud as friends and neighbors united to mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett spoke of the amazing depth the 5,800-resident city showed during the tragedy and insists the work of healing is far from over.
“We need to just focus on being there for them. As I said from the beginning our number one priority was to pull people out, and the second priority was to support the families. That is not going to stop.”
The future of the area is still in question though. Many residents would like to see a memorial instead of rebuilding. Resolving the future of this multi-million dollar plot of land will likely be complicated.