>> YEAH.
KERRY SANDERS.
YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE DAMAGE
AND DESTRUCTION WITH THE SUN UP.
WE WANT TO BRING IN OSI WHO
LIVES ON THE FOURTH FLOUR,
RESCUED OFF HER BALCONY.
SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
SO HAPPY THAT YOURE OKAY.
I CANT IMAGINE YOU WERE TUCKED
INTO BED, 1:30, 2:00 IN THE
MORNING AND SAW AND FELT THINGS.
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH.
>> SO WE WERE SOUND ASLEEP, AS
WERE PROBABLY MOST PEOPLE IN THE
BUILDING.
WE HEARD A WEIRD SOUND.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN THUNDER, BUT
IT DIDNT -- IT DIDNT REALLY
SOUND LIKE THUNDER AND WE FELT
THE BUILDING SHAKE.
KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP.
RATTLES UP.
IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OF BED.
LOOKED AROUND.
LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW.
OUR APARTMENT FACES THE STREET,
AND I SAW A PLUME OF SMOKE
COMING UP.
VERY UNUSUAL SHAPE AND JUST
EVERYTHING ABOUT IT WAS UNUSUAL.
A FEW CARS.
NOT MANY AT THAT HOUR OF THE
NIGHT.
AND VERY SOON THEREAFTER A
POLICE CAR PULLED UP AND I HEARD
A NEIGHBOR YELL OUT, "WHATS
GOING ON?"
THE POLICEMAN SAYING WE DONT
KNOW YET.
RUNNING AROUND WAY FLASHLIGHT.
SHORTLY HAVE THEREAFTER WE
DECIDED WE WANTED TO GET OUT.
YOU A IMAGINE WE IN OW PJs.
GRABBED A FEW ESSENTIAL ITEMS,
AND WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR TO MY
APARTMENT, IT LEADS TO A LONG
HALLWAY, AND ALL I SAW WAS
DEBRIS AND THE PARTIAL DEBRIS
WAS COVERING THE PART OF THE
DOOR, NEXT TO US, AS WELL.
THERES ANOTHER STAIRCASE THAT
WE TOOK AND WENT DOWN, AND SAW
SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAS WERE IN
THE STAIRCASE.
WE TRIED TO EXIT ON THE POOL
DECK, AND COULD NOT OPEN THE
DOOR.
IT WAS JAMMED.
SO WE CONTINUED DOWN AND WENT
DOWN TO THE GARAGE, BUT IT WAS
FULL OF WATER.
UP TO OUR ANKLES ALREADY.
WE DIDNT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON
AT THAT POINT AND WE REALIZED WE
WERENT GOING TO BE ABLE GET OUT
THROUGH THEIR EITHER.
SO WE DECIDED TO GO BACK UP THE
STAIRS.
THE DOOR TO THE BUILDING ITSELF,
WE COULDNT GET BACK IN, BECAUSE
THE ELECTRICITY WAS OUT.
WE WENT BACK UP THE STAIRS, TOOK
TWO ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH US WE
DIDNT KNOW.
WE MET THEM IN THE STAIRCASE TO
OUR APARTMENT.
AND DECIDED TO GO OUT TO THE
BALCONY AND WAVE DOWN
FIRE/RESCUE AND THEY ARE HEROES.
THEYRE JUST UNBELIEVABLE HUMAN
BEINGS, AND THEY CAME UP WITH A
LADDER AND A BUCKET, AND GOT THE
FOUR OF US DOWN.
IT IS JUST OVERWHELMING TO SEE
WHEN WE OPENED THE DOOR AND SAW
THAT THE BUILDING WAS COLLAPSED.
IT WAS JUST -- SURREAL.
REALLY SURREAL.
OSI, WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED IS
ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING, GOING ALL
WAIT DOWN, BRINGING NEIGHBORS
WITH YOU AND THEN BEING RESCUED.
THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL CONDO
BUILDING, ITS OFF-SEASON IN
MIAMI.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW FULL
IT WAS?
HOW MANY OF YOUR NEIGHBORS MAY
HAVE BEEN SLEEPING IN THEIR BEDS
IN THE PORTION OF THE BUILDING
THAT WENT DOWN?
>> RIGHT.
SO ITS A 12-STORY BUILDING.
THERE ARE ABOUT 186 APARTMENTS.
I CANT TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW
MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE, BUT, YOU
KNOW, WITH COVID, PEOPLE WERENT
TRAVELING AS MUCH, AND ALSO
PEOPLE WERE VISITING.
SO ITS HARD TO SAY HOW MANY
PEOPLE.
WE DIDNT SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE
INITIALLY, BECAUSE WE WERE
PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET
OUT.
EVENTUALLY WE WALKED ABOUT FIVE
OR SIX BLOCKS TO THE COMMUNITY
CENTER, WHICH WAS A STATION, YOU
KNOW, A GATHERING STATION, AND
MANY PEOPLE CAME AFTER THAT, AND
OTHERS WERE WAITING TO HEAR FROM
THEIR LOVED ONES.
SO I DONT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE.
I CANT REALLY ESTIMATE THAT AT
THE MOMENT.
BUT PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING ARE
SNOWBIRDS.
OTHERS COME ON THE WEEKEND.
THEY HAVE A HOME IN OTHER PARTS
OF MIAMI.
THE POOL AREA GETS A BIT BUSY.
I IMAGINE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE
THERE.
>> WE DID SEE A YOUNG BOY BEING
RESCUED OUT OF THE RUBBLE.
I WONDER.
WHILE YOU WERE WALKING AROUND
DOWN THERE, DID YOU HEAR
ANYBODY?
>> AH, UNFORTUNATELY WE DID HEAR
SCREAMS.
I DONT EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT
IT.
WE DID HEAR SCREAMS BUT I
COULDNT TELL WHERE THEY WERE
COMING FROM.
FROM THE RUBBLE.
FROM THE APARTMENT.
PEOPLE WERE ON THEIR BALCONIES,
WAVING FLASHLIGHTS.
YELLING TO THE FIREFIGHTERS.
SO IM NOT EXACTLY SURE WHERE
THE SOUNDS WERE COMING FROM, TO
BE HONEST.
>> WELL, WERE HAPPY THAT YOU
ARE OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING
WITH US THIS MORNING.
WE WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ALL
THE BEST.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE TRAUMA
YOURE FEELING RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
IM FEELING VERY BLESSED AND I
JUST WISH HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES