Firefighters end Champlain Towers South search with one still missing

Firefighters searching through the rubble left behind when the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside, Florida declared the end of their search for bodies with one person still missing. The collapse killed 97.

The dead include members of the area’s large Orthodox Jewish community, as well as, the sister of Paraguay’s first lady.

Officials have declined to clarify whether they have one additional set of human remains in their possession, that pathologists are struggling to identify, or whether a search for that final set of remains is still ongoing. If found, Estelle Hedaya would bring the death toll to 98.

Her younger brother Ikey has given DNA samples and visited the site twice to see the search efforts for himself. “As we enter month two alone, without any other families, we feel helpless,” he said. Ikey also said he gets frequent updates from the medical examiner’s office.

Forensic scientists are still at work, examining debris that has been moved to a Miami warehouse. However, according to officials, there are no more bodies to be found where the building once stood.

Search teams spent the last month sifting through more than 14,000 tons of broken concrete and rebar before declaring the mission complete. They had to battle multiple hazards, including an unstable portion of the building that teetered above, a recurring fire and Florida’s summer heat and thunderstorms.

At a ceremony, Fire Chief Alan Cominsky saluted the firefighters who worked 12-hour shifts while camping at the site. “It’s obviously devastating. It’s obviously a difficult situation across the board,” Cominsky said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the men and women that represent Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.”

The ultimate fate of the property where the building once stood is still unknown. A judge presiding over several lawsuits related to the collapse wants the property sold at market rates, which would be an estimated $100 million or more. Some condo owners want to rebuild, while others say a memorial should be erected to remember the dead.