Who was Stacie Fang?
ONLY four victims of the Surfside building collapse have been confirmed, leaving 159 still unaccounted for.
The identities of the victims are still unknown with the exception of one woman named Stacie Fang.
Who is Stacie Fang?
Stacie Fang, 54, is the first named victim of the Surfside building collapse in Aventura, Florida.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner identified her on Thursday, June 24, 2021, as part of the four known victims that are known to have passed away in the accident.
Fang had been pulled from the debris and taken to Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, where she later died, the Miami Herald reported.
Her cause of death was due to blunt force injuries from the collapse, the medical examiner's office informed NPR.
According to Fang’s LinkedIn, she was the vice president for a company that organizes an annual event for retail marketers.
She studied business administration and management at Pace University in New York, and graduated in 1990.
Did Stacie Fang have children?
Fang was the mother of 15-year-old Jonah Handler, who was rescued hours after the building collapsed as he cried for help.
According to WTVJ, Handler is a student at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.
He is also a member of the school's junior varsity baseball team.
Witness Nicholas Balboa told WFOR that he “could hear somebody yelling in the debris.”
“What he was actually saying was, 'Can you see my hand, can you see my hand?' And I could see a little hand sticking up waving, moving his fingers trying to get our attention," Balboa said.
"We were there, we were letting him know we were there. He said, 'Please don't leave me, please don't leave me.' We wouldn't leave him," Balboa added.
"He looked fairly alright, like very lucky. He had a guardian angel for sure."
What did Stacie Fang’s family say about her death?
Prior to Fang being identified as one of the victims of the collapse, her sister Vanessa Borges told the Washington Post she arrived at Surfside on the afternoon of Thursday, June 24 in hopes of finding her.
"[Handler] was rescued, but he has no idea what happened to his mother," she said at the time.
“Nobody has any idea what happened to her. It's like she just disappeared."
After being identified, Fang and Handler’s family sent a statement to WTVJ that thanked the public for their “compassion.”
The statement read: “There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie.
"The members of the Fang and Handler family would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, compassion and support we have received.
"The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much-needed source of strength during this devastating time.
"On behalf of Stacie's son, Jonah, we ask you now to please respect our privacy to grieve and to try to help each other heal."
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