'We Are Holding Out For A Miracle:' Friends Of Pittsburgh Native Lost In Florida Condo Collapse Hoping She's Found
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Pittsburgh area native and her husband are two of the many people still unaccounted for, after the high-rise condominium building collapse in Surfside, Florida.
Nicole Doran-Manashirov, originally from South Park, and her husband Ruslan Manashirov are missing. Some of her lifelong friends in Pittsburgh said the couple lived on the 7th floor, in one of the units that came down when the 12-story building partially collapsed Thursday.
"I pray for a miracle for everybody. I just hope they find her and many more," said Leah Caliguire, Doran's best friend.
"I just didn't want to accept it and every possible emotion you could imagine, every question, every feeling," said Danny Caliguire, another one of Doran's best friends.
Danny and Leah Caliguire said Doran is their lifelong friend and the godmother of their three daughters.
"We met when we were kids in grade school, we were 7-years-old. She's been my best friend for 37 years so she's more like a sister to me. My kids call her aunt Nicole," said Leah Caliguire.
Leah Caliguire said the newly married couple recently moved to the Champlain Tower South. She stayed in their condo for their wedding last month.
"It was a beautiful building, you would never think anything like this could possibly happen," said Leah Caliguire.
The Caliguire's want everyone to know how remarkable Doran is.
"If my daughters grew up to be like her, I did my job right," said Danny Caliguire.
"She's the greatest person I ever met," said Leah Caliguire.
They're holding on to hope, as search and rescue teams look for signs of life in the rubble.
"We know there are people in the hospital we've heard that have not been identified, we are holding out for a miracle and praying," said Leah Caliguire.
"9/11 there were miracles, and we believe this could be another but it's in the lord's hands," said Danny Caliguire.
The Caliguires said Nicole Doran's husband, Ruslan Manashirov, is from Brooklyn and his family drove to Florida. They said his family has been searching for the couple in area hospitals.