A week after a portion of a six-story apartment building fell in Davenport, Iowa, one of the bodies of the three men who went missing has been found, according to a municipal spokesperson. The 42-year-old Branden Colvin Sr.’s body was discovered on Saturday, according to the spokeswoman, Sarah Ott, in an email. He was the first victim of the collapse whose death was officially confirmed.
Since a portion of the building collapsed on May 28, Ryan Hitchcock, 51, and Daniel Prien, 60, are the two other males still unaccounted for. In a statement released on Thursday, the city administration expressed its belief that there was a “high probability” that the three men could have been at home during the That “their apartments were in the collapse zone” and that “the building was in the zone of collapse.”
Last Monday, dozens of people demonstrated in front of the building to voice their anxiety that it would be demolished before all of the missing persons were located. Several people were reported missing in the days following the collapse, despite the fact that some residents were led out before the fall and others were rescued shortly after. Officials said on May 29 that they were unaware of any survivors still inside the structure, however a woman was discovered alive in the wreckage later that day. The demolition has not yet begun.
Five persons were reported missing the next day, with two of them perhaps still inside the structure, according to officials. The missing persons’ numbers were once more estimated at a news conference on Thursday morning. Jeff Bladel, the chief According to the Davenport authorities Department, two of the people who had been reported missing were found to be safe after authorities got in touch with their relatives, leaving three people still missing. In the days following the collapse, Davenport officials have made records, including structural engineering studies, public. These documents demonstrate that Andrew Wold, the building’s owner, had received warnings that a portion of the structure was unstable.
In a letter dated May 24, structural engineer David Valliere issued a warning that many clay brick facade patches on the building’s west face were “separating from the substrate” and “appear ready to fall imminently.” The author of the letter, Mr. Valliere, stated that another wall “appears to be losing some stability and is causing deformation.” Several occupants had also filed concerns regarding the state of the building. According to records obtained by the Davenport-based The Quad-City Times, a downtown development official made a 911 call the day before the building collapsed and expressed concern about the wall’s structural stability.
In order to assist displaced residents, Mr. Wold stated that his organization, Davenport Hotel L.L.C., was collaborating closely with the American Red Cross and other organizations. In a statement sent on Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press, he said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with our tenants and families during this difficult time.” On Sunday, according to a statement from the city, workers were still clearing debris from the scene. Today’s labor will continue all day long with teams that are on duty 24/7 in 12-hour shifts.
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