MIAMI (WFLA) – The first victim of the Surfside condominium collapse has been identified as the mother of the teen boy who was rescued from the rubble of the building.
Stacie Fang, 54, the mother of 15-year-old Jonah Handler, was the first victim of the tragedy to be identified Friday.
Handler was rescued from the rubble hours after the collapse.
NBC 6 in Miami received a statement from the family following the announcement:
“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie. 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 family said in a statement. “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.”
According to NBC 6, Fang passed away shortly after arriving at Aventura Hospital Thursday.
Dramatic video footage showed firefighters helping Handler out of the wreckage and placing him on a stretcher before he was taken to a local hospital.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
