Six days after the catastrophic collapse of an apartment complex in Iowa, the body of a missing man was discovered in the rubble.
City officials in Davenport, Iowa, announced on Sunday that Brandon Colvin Sr. was found deceased on Saturday.
Following the collapse of an apartment complex on Sunday, May 28, Colvin, 42, was one of three men who were missing. Ryan Hitchcock, 51, and Daniel Prien, 60, were named as the other missing residents.
The victim’s son, Brandon Colvin Jr, graduated from Rock Island High School on Saturday, the Quad-City Times reported. He had been sleeping at the site with other family members as they helped search for his missing father.
The six-story, 84-unit apartment building was located in downtown Davenport, just two blocks from the city’s waterfront on the Mississippi River. It was built in 1907 and was on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Seven people were rescued immediately after the collapse, while another 12 were escorted out by firefighters. Two more survivors were found the next day.
Officials initially said they did not believe any more people were stranded in the building, but this changed as family members began reporting their relatives missing.
Now, officials believe Hitchcock and Prien both had a ‘high probability of being home at the time of the collapse.’
The search for survivors has dragged on for over a week, as search and rescue teams have been forced to move slowly and carefully while sifting through the rubble.
‘The building is structurally unsound, is posing a risk to responders,’ Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said. ‘This is going to be a long and lengthy process.’
The building had been inspected multiple times over the last few years after residents placed complaints about water leaks and cracks in the walls. Parts of its façade and walls were actively being repaired when it collapsed.