A 15-year-old survivor of the deadly Florida condo collapse got a chance to thank the first responders who helped save his life.
Jonah Handler, who was seen in dramatic footage being pulled from the ruins of Champlain Towers South in Surfside after the deadly June 24 catastrophe is shown in new images standing with his real-life heroes, WTVJ-TV reported Thursday.
The reunion comes as the search for victims in the pile is drawing to a close.
“The first time we saw these nameless heroes was on the newsreels as they were pulling my boy out of the rubble,” the teen’s father, Neil Handler, wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“Now with God’s grace we stand next to each other sharing thanks and hope,” he wrote. “Jonah is recovering from his physical injuries but as we all know, bittersweet is the long road ahead without his mom Stacie in our lives.”
Photos posted on the page show the teen smiling with a handful of first responders, who are not identified in the pics.
One of his rescuers was identified in the past as Nicolas Balboa, a visitor from Arizona who was walking his dog near the tower when it collapsed and helped first responders pull the boy from the debris, WPLG-TV has reported.
Jonah Handler was the first person pulled after the collapse. His mother, Stacie Fang, 54, was also rescued and taken to a local hospital, but died from her injuries.
Fang became the first victim to be identified.
This is an excerpt from the New York Post.
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