The Goodness of America
Goodness in the Midst of Tragedy
The unimaginable tragedy that took place in Surfside, Florida, in the early morning hours of Thursday, June 24 is almost too unbearable to think about. A total of 98 people, including children, laid their heads down to go to sleep on Wednesday in their beautiful beachfront homes in Champlain Towers South condominiums, only to be killed before another sunrise in a building collapse virtually unheard of here in the United States. The harrowing search-and-rescue, and later, search-and-recovery, that took place in the weeks following the deadly collapse was torturous for families and strangers alike, who wept for the innocent people who fell victim to a tragedy that was entirely avoidable.
And still, in the wake of this horrific tragedy, good people have managed to shine their light in an otherwise dark place. Hundreds of rescue workers and first responders, which included members of the Miami Beach Police and Fire Departments as well as specialized search-and-rescue teams from all over Florida and throughout the country, descended upon the site of the building collapse and immediately went to work. These workers acted without consideration for the possible dangers that the efforts posed to them, driven solely by the urgency to find survivors.
“The firefighters and the first responders have been working so tirelessly and have been so dedicated,” Champlain Towers East resident Orit Schloss recalled. Schloss somehow slept through the collapse and was woken the next morning by frantic calls from friends and family to confirm she was safe. It was then she looked out of her window and saw what happened. “In those first moments and days, they were searching through the rubble so carefully with their hands, digging through the mountain of debris, standing shoulder-to-shoulder helping one another. Meanwhile, we watched and prayed for their success, hoping for a miracle and that they would be able to find people alive.”
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