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Captain of crew searching Surfside rubble: 'We remain mission-driven'

Posted at 3:04 PM, Jul 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-03 15:16:54-04

Hundreds of rescuers have been working around the clock in Surfside looking for survivors.

Officials say there is still hope and they will not stop until they give every family an answer.

There are tasks forces from all across the USA and other parts of the world working together at the collapsed condo site. The teams all have one goal - find any survivors.

Captain Ignatius Carroll with Florida Task Force 2 gave WPTV a tour of the command center just outside the collapse site.

Carroll said keeping the hundreds of rescuers safe and on the same page is crucial during a response like this.

Overnight Friday into Saturday, crews found two more victims, bringing the total to 24.

"This one hits home with us because it is in our backyard, we have people that are out here that know people that are affected by this or a family member who lost their life, Carroll said.

Carroll said they have to work with precise movements, making sure all members who go into the site make it out.

"You are looking at a group of highly trained, special knowledge personal that understand the dynamics and the best way to approach is safely," Carroll said.

Carroll said their main goal is to still find survivors.

"We continue to search that rubble pile. Whether it's for any survivors or at least to bring some closure to the families that are still searching for their loved ones," Carroll said.

He said they are keeping an eye on Elsa and its possible impact on the area.

There are more members of the task force ready to respond if needed.

He also offered a big thank you to the community for the outpouring of support.