SURFSIDE, Fla. — Thirty-two…that’s the number of people who are confirmed to have died in the Florida condominium collapse.
On the 13th day, search-and-rescue teams continue to climb up and down the rubble of the Champlain Towers South building in hopes of finding more people.
One of those teams is Indiana Task Force 1.
“We have not stopped,” said Task Force Leader Jay Settergren. “We work two 12 hour shifts.”
Meaning, one team works noon to midnight, then another team trades off and works midnight to noon.
“We try to take care of each other, we do take care of each other. My goal is to come out whole, we go home whole.”
Settergren’s team has 80 people and the only time they stopped working was when what was left of the condo building was demolished on Sunday night. Officials said the demolition was necessary for the safety of the crews, especially with the potential weather Tropical Storm Elsa could bring.
“To just know that people were sleeping in their beds at one-thirty at night when this building fell that’s the last thing they remember of their normal life it drives us to rescue.” said Settergren.
He said the Florida community is just like the communities he sees in Indiana, rallying behind the people affected by the collapse and helping them during this difficult time.
