Woman rescued from partially collapsed Iowa apartment building
Video captures the dramatic rescue of a woman from a partially collapsed apartment building in Iowa (Credit: Quad City Fire Wire/LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)
Iowa police said Thursday morning that three residents of a Davenport apartment building that partially collapsed over the weekend remain unaccounted for.
Police Chief Jeff Bladel told reporters two of the five who were missing earlier in the week have been found safe, including one who is now living in Texas after moving out and another who was found locally.
He said Brandon Colvin and Ryan Hitchcock are believed to be in the rubble. A third person, Daniel Prien, also remained unaccounted for. It's unclear whether he was inside the collapsed building, but Bladel noted that he was a shelter placement.
"At this point, we're not getting any further information that other people are in this building and missing," Bladel said, telling a reporter this is now a recovery operation.
DAVENPORT, IOWA APARTMENT BUILDING COLLAPSE: WOMAN FREED AFTER LEG IS AMPUTATED
An apartment building that partially collapsed two days earlier is seen Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
"So, the [three] individuals, there's a high probability that they are within that collapsed space, and all the information provided to us is that that space is not sustainable for life," he replied.
"First, as always, my heart continues to go out for the unaccounted for, and certainly the [families] of Brandon and Ryan are the foremost in our thoughts and prayers," Mayor Mike Matson said.
The mayor said the building was dangerous and still shifting and that the city was working on a timeline to demolish the rest of the building in a "dignified and respectful" way, although officials were "not anywhere near doing that right now."
Davenport Mayor Mike Matson stands behind Fire Marshal Jim Morris during a news conference about a partially collapsed apartment building Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa. (Gary Krambeck/Quad City Times via AP)
Matson also said he would continue to take criticism after a question about regrets over the way he had handled the response with the media Monday.
"I have regrets about a lot of things. Believe me, we're going to look at that. But, I'm also going to stand here and continue to do this," Matson said, noting that rescuers should not face any criticism.
A Davenport firefighter brings down a pet in a pet carrier as search and rescue personnel work part of The Davenport apartment looking for pets and people inside the partially collapsed building Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa. (Gary Krambeck/Quad City Times via AP)
Matson said they were investigating if there was some technique they were missing in the recovery efforts.
The mayor said he still could not explain how 52-year-old Lisa Brooks was missed in the initial search, and Bladel said he would look into a TikTok video that shows a man who appeared to be a police officer saying Brooks sneaked into the building.
The city had previously faced criticism over a statement after announcing demolition plans before Brooks was found.
Protesters stand outside Davenport City Hall in protest to the rescue operations at The Davenport apartment building, which partially collapsed days earlier with several people still missing Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa. (Gary Krambeck/Quad City Times via AP)
On Sunday, rescuers had pulled people from the building and escorted out others who could walk on their own.
Family members reacted to the collapse Tuesday, with Hitchcock's mother mentioning she believes her son was on the second floor when it collapsed.
"I don’t believe he’s alive," Linda Feliksiak said. "He’s always helping people, he’s friendly. He’s got some of my nice in him that I have, so he’s, I think he’s like 51."
A Davenport firefighter hands over a terrarium to Scott County Humane personnel after it was removed from the partially collapsed apartment building, The Davenport, Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa. (Gary Krambeck/Quad City Times via AP)
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"My cousin said he had just came home at 5, and he’s tired," Mike Collier, cousin of Branden Colvin said. "And when he get up, he’s going to be able to come to the family gathering so, like three hours or more after that, the building collapsed, and we haven’t seen my cousin Brandon Colvin since then or heard anything from him."
Fire Marshal James Morris has said there will be an investigation into what caused the collapse.
A city worker who inspected the building has resigned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
