Iowa building collapse - latest: Davenport authorities quit rubble search for missing despite family pleas

Four days before The Davenport collapsed, engineers from Select Structural Engineering sent a letter that indicated the structural integrity of the building was not going to last much longer.

“There are several large patches of clay brick facade which are separating from the substrate. These large patches appear ready to fall imminently,” the letter, postmarked from 24 May, reads.

The letter outlines several alarming finds like the drywall on the first floor being stripped away, a lack of bracing that indicated the facade was “about to topple outward”, deformed walls, steel and drywall bowing and more.

City officials said that based on a report from Select Structural Engineering there “was not cause to think” residents should evacuate.

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said on Thursday he expects to announce imminently a company “to do a very systematic approach to this building, on how to remove things at certain times”.

Davenport Police are asking anyone with information about the whereabouts of three men who could be trapped under the rubble of The Davenport.

Branden Colvin, 42, Ryan Hitchcock, and Daniel Prien, 60, are believed to have been home when their apartment building collapsed on Sunday 28 May.

However, police are asking the public for any information that could help locate the three men on the off chance they were not home or managed to escape the collapse zone.

People with information that can confirm this or indicate otherwise, can call 563-326-6125.

Ryan Shaffer, owner of a local masonry company, told The Quad-Cities Times this week that he was approached by the building’s owner Andrew Wold in February about providing work to shore up the structure – which had reportedly been the subject of many complaints from tenants in the months prior – during ongoing repairs.

But when Mr Shaffer provided a quote upwards of $50,000, he claims Mr Wold turned it down because it was too expensive.

“He wanted to cut the cost by cutting out the shoring and supporting of the building,” Mr Shaffer told The QCT.

“I said, ‘If we don’t do it this way exactly, I’m not putting my guys in there. Somebody is going to die.”

Andrea Blanco has this report.

The Iowa Task Force One is beginning the process of removing debris from the collapsed building in Davenport, Iowa.

The task force was mobilised this past week to help with search and rescue efforts as people hope to find three men who are believed to be trapped under the debris. On Thursday, search and rescue efforts ceased, and recovery efforts began.

City officials have been wary about allowing people to search the rubble as the building is very unsteady and could collapse even further.

According to a Facebook post from the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, the task force was able to add interior and exterior support to the building to aid in their search efforts.

The group of 45 to 50 people will begin recovery efforts.

If you’re late to this week’s story from Davenport, Andrea Blanco has this introduction.

City officials in Davenport, Iowa, have admitted that five residents of the building that collapsed this weekend are still unaccounted for – a day after announcing plans to proceed with the demolition of the unstable structure.

Andrea Blanco reports:

Nearly $12,000 have been raised through a GoFundMe for Lexus Berry and Quanishia “Peach” Berry who had to have her leg amputated in order to be freed from the rubble of The Davenport on Monday (29 May).

The two women were home on Sunday (28 May) when the building suddenly collapsed taking the Berry’s apartment, and Peach four stories to the ground and into rubble.

“These two women have to start completely over with absolutely nothing and it’s just not fair,” Alec Tumlinson, the organiser of the GoFundMe wrote in the description.

Rescuers found Peach on Monday morning but were forced to amputate her leg in order to safely remove her from the rubble and bring her to the hospital. Lexus gave her assent for doctors to do so.

“Lexus and Peach not only have physical injuries, traumatic memories that were going to sit with them for the rest of their life but they’ve also lost their home, which is full of their clothes and their food, and their memories and their poor poor kitties, not to mention all the beautiful artwork they’ve created in their home together,” Mr Tumlinson wrote in the GoFundMe.

In a press conference on Friday Davenport Fire Department fire chief Mike Carlsten said they were consulting with communities who have dealt with sudden building collapses like Miami

“We have talked to multiple larger communities throughout the nation who have had events similar to this,” Mr Carlsten said. “Almost daily we have had phone calls with Miami-Dade, their fire department and some of their city staff just so that we can try to learn from lessons in other communities.”

Two years ago, a large portion of the Surfside Condominium in Miami, Florida collapsed killing 98 people and injuring 11 others.

Mr Carlsten said they were speaking with them to figure out best practices going forward.

The American Red Cross and Davenport community officials are hosting a resource center for residents impacted by the partial building collapse of The Davenport on Saturday, 3 June.

From 10am until 4pm residents who bring proof of address and photo ID can go to the R Richard Bittner Downtown YMCA on East 4th Street to receive assistance and resources.