Surfside building collapse: One more victim identified, bringing total to 95

Surfside, Florida - Closure is coming slowly for the families of those lost in the Surfside condo collapse as a three-week search through the wreckage gives way to a painstaking process of identifying the remaining victims. On Saturday, Miami-Dade County police announced that one more person pulled from rubble had been identified.

Authorities have identified 95 victims who lost their lives in the Surfside disaster.
Authorities have identified 95 victims who lost their lives in the Surfside disaster.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Theresa Velasquez (36) was recovered from the rubble of Champlain Towers South on July 8. Velasquez, a Live Nation executive who worked in Los Angeles, had arrived in Miami the night before the collapse to visit her parents, who owned a condo on the third floor. The three died when the tower suddenly collapsed before dawn on June 24.

Authorities have identified 95 victims who lost their lives in the disaster, and their families have been notified. Officials believe the recovery effort is nearing the end, though they caution that there is no timeline for declaring the search over as crews continue to remove debris from the site.

Miami-Dade police received 97 missing persons reports in the wake of the collapse. The medical examiner’s office is working to identify remains that search crews have recovered, a technical process that grows more difficult with the passage of time.

Memorial to victims continues to expand

Wooden hearts with the names of victims were erected alongside the photos, flowers, and other memorial items at Surfside's Wall of Hope.
Wooden hearts with the names of victims were erected alongside the photos, flowers, and other memorial items at Surfside's Wall of Hope.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

A block away from the rubble where excavators continue to fill dump trucks with the wreckage of condo tower, a memorial for the families has grown to include a row of signs lining the sidewalk on Harding Avenue, white wooden posts topped with blue hearts for each life lost.

Luther Church Charities are providing the markers. Once a person is publicly identified, a volunteer places the sign either in alphabetical order or near family with a permanent marker attached to a string. Visitors and first responders have left condolences on the signs.

"This is so tough," said Randy Wagoner, who has been delivering the signs when new names are released. Saturday morning, he was taking pictures of some of the signs to send to family member who wanted to include them in services for the dead. It’s the least he can do, he said, for a tragedy with such a deep impact in his community.

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"This hits home," he said. "This is my town. I’ve lived here for 35 years. It’s home."

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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