First-responder video shows devastation of Champlain Towers collapse up close

Josh Marcus
·1 min read
New first-responder video shows the devastation of the Champlain Tower South collapse in Florida from a never-before-seen vantage. (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
New first-responder video shows the devastation of the Champlain Tower South collapse in Florida from a never-before-seen vantage. (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Newly released first-responder video shows just how devastating the aftermath of the 24 June Champlain Towers South collapse was in Florida, a tragedy which killed at least 79 people with many more unaccounted for.

The video, recorded from a high vantage point above the collapse site, shows rescue crews unearthing a body, which news media blurred to protect the deceased’s privacy. Another clip captures an emergency official in a state of shock, telling a colleague over the radio, “This is huge, humongous.”

An unnamed source working search-and-rescue operations shared the video with WPLG to show “we’re still trying to 200% to find the bodies so people can go on with their lives.”