Final victim of Florida condo collapse identified

The last victim of the Champlain Towers South condo collapse in Surfside, Florida, has been identified as 54-year-old Estelle Hedaya, a native New Yorker who moved to Florida six years ago and wrote about her new life on a blog called "Follow the Toes."

Hedaya's mother confirmed her identity with The Washington Post on Monday. The condo building collapsed early on June 24, when most residents were sleeping. A massive rescue-and-recovery effort — the largest non-hurricane response in Florida history — was launched after the collapse, with teams coming from abroad to help search for survivors and victims. Authorities say that with the discovery of Hedaya, the death toll is now at 98.

"It really means the world to be able to have closure for all of those who were seeking their loved ones," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cara said during a Monday news conference.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up