LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Residents of a Lake Worth Beach assisted living facility were evacuated this weekend due to excessive heat and lack of air conditioning, according to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR).
On Friday, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to Crest Manor on 3rd Avenue South, where residents voiced concerns about lack of functioning AC in the four-story building.
WATCH: Assisted living facility shut down due to heat concerns
PBCFR was joined by Palm Beach County Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (ACHA) to assess the situation, and found "widespread air conditioning failures" throughout the facility. Multiple rooms were above 81 degrees.
PBCFR says repairs to the AC were attempted on Friday, but when crews returned on Saturday conditions had worsened, especially on the fourth floor, where temperatures in some rooms had reached over 90 degrees.
A "joint decision" was made to shut down the facility and relocate its 42 residents to other facilities. PBCFR says families were notified.
According to property records, the facility is owned by Mobat Inc. State business records show the company is owned by Sewsankar Rengasawmy.
WPTV’s Ethan Stein got in contact with Rengasawmy, who told us the temperature was only “two degrees above the requirement by the state” in a text message. A spokesperson for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said any temperature over 81 degrees isn’t safe.
"I wasn't sure what to think," said Taylor Troesser, a Lake Worth Beach resident who observed the emergency response outside the facility. “This whole street was covered in police lights.”
Troesser noted that the emergency presence remained the following day, indicating the seriousness of the situation.
She also expressed her concern for the elderly residents.
"It's hot, you know. I mean, they need to do better for these old people. I mean, they put their faith that they can take care of them, and, you know, I'm sure they pay money to stay there," she told WPTV's Kayla McDermott.
WATCH: Digging deeper into past complaints
The facility remains closed, and PBCFR says it has "conducted a full fire inspection, and other partner agencies will continue follow-up evaluations to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents."
Crews remained on-site cleaning the facility Wednesday, while state health officials have launched an investigation into the matter. Requests for an official inspection report detailing the deficiencies at Crest Manor are ongoing as the situation continues to develop.
Reached for comment, AHCA tells WPTV: "The Agency was notified of widespread air conditioning failures at the Crest Manor assisted living facility in Lake Worth and coordinated with local and state agencies to ensure the safe evacuation of residents. All finalized legal actions and inspection reports will be posted on the Agency’s page."
