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What we know about the victims of the Surfside building collapse
Local police and relatives have identified several of the victims of the Surfside building collapse.
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From elderly couples to young children, more information is emerging about the victims of a partial building collapse in Surfside, Florida.
At least 64 people have been confirmed dead and 76 others remain potentially unaccounted for since the Champlain Towers South, a 12-story oceanfront condominium, partially collapsed before dawn on June 24. A massive search and rescue mission has shifted to one of recovery, as officials said all efforts to find survivors have been exhausted.
Local police and relatives have identified many of the victims.
Stacie Dawn Fang, 54
Stacie Dawn Fang, who lived in apartment No. 1002 of the Champlain Towers South, was the first victim to be identified in the tragedy.
The 54-year-old mother and her 15-year-old son, Jonah Handler, were both pulled from the rubble alive on June 24, just hours after the partial collapse. A man walking his dog near the scene spotted Handler in the debris and alerted first responders.
"We could hear someone screaming, yelling, making noise," Nicholas Balboa told ABC News. "He was putting his hands up through the rubble, saying, 'Don't leave me, don't leave me.' That's when I signaled firefighters to get over here."
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The mother and son were transported to a local hospital, where Fang later died. Her identity was released by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26.
"There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie," Fang's family told ABC News in a statement. "The members of the Fang and Handler family would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, compassion and support we have received. The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much needed source of strength during this devastating time. On behalf of Stacie's son, Jonah, we ask you now to please respect our privacy to grieve and to try to help each other heal."
Antonio Lozano, 83, and Gladys Lozano, 79
The body of 83-year-old Antonio Lozano was recovered from the wreckage by first responders on June 24, while the body of his 79-year-old wife, Gladys Lozano, was recovered June 25. The couple lived in apartment No. 903 of the Champlain Towers South. Their identities were released by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26.
Antonio and Gladys Lozano were married for 59 years and always use to spar over who would die first, with neither willing to live without the other, according to the couple's grandson, Brian Lozano.
"It's tragic but it's strangely unsettling that I have peace knowing they would constantly play argue about who would pass first," Brian Lozano told ABC News in a statement. "But in the end... they got what they both wanted. Each other."
"Both were avid donators to non profit organizations especially to cancer since my grandmother lost her mother to the sickness," he added. "Always providing for anyone who's in need or just to spark a smile on someone's face. Their souls were truly beautiful and are now blessed."
The couple's son, Sergio Lozano, said he lived in the tower across from his parents and had dinner with them the night before the deadly disaster. He said he heard a rumble at around 1 a.m. local time and got out of bed to look out on the balcony of his unit.
"I tell [my wife], 'It's not there,'" Sergio Lozano told Miami ABC affiliate WPLG. "And she's yelling, 'What do you mean?' 'My parents' apartment is not there, it's gone!' and I just ran downstairs."
Manuel LaFont, 54
Manuel LaFont's body was recovered from the wreckage by first responders on June 25 and identified by the Miami-Dade Police Department on June 26. The 54-year-old lived in apartment No. 804 of the Champlain Towers South.
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