Search Continues For Man Missing After Garage Collapse
DORAL (CBS4) – Last week the family of the final missing construction worker at the site of the parking garage collapse at Miami-Dade College's West Campus continued to hope for good news from crews responsible for the recovery.
But Saturday afternoon Robert Budhoo's wife and children were frustrated about what they perceived as the lack of activity on the scene.
That frustration turned to anger as several local officials arrived to check the progress, but few could provide answers.
"My dad is underneath there. If there's any hope of him surviving, you guys are limiting that every time you call it off," Budhoo's daughter, Tasha Bagwandeen said. "They are doing nothing for us. My dad, he's a wonderful father, a great husband a brother."
Budhoo is also a grandfather to five small children, each of them asking for their "Papa" to come home.
"My daughter wakes up at night crying for him. Everyone of them. Little kids. Little baby kids. And they're doing nothing," Budhoo's daughter Shewana Accaiao said through tears.
A state representative, a Doral city councilman, a OSHA compliance officer and even Doral's Police Chief stopped by to talk with the family.
"This is a really frustrating moment for me, because I'd love to be able to answer their questions. But I can't. I don't have the answers," Doral Police Chief Ricardo Gomez said.
It wasn't until after a nearly two-hour conversation with Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue officials that the Budhoo's felt somewhat satisfied with the search effort.
"Seeing the site definitely painted a better picture as far as they were saying the insecurity of that one wall," Accaiao said after being walked closer to the garage where she said she saw cadaver dogs search and the crane in action. She said she was told a large crack was discovered which slowed down the search effort slightly in order to ensure the safety of rescuers.
"After the conference with police, I'm very satisfied with the communication line," Budhoo's wife Laurel said. "It was opened. All our questions were answered."
They will now receive updates twice daily from crews on scene about the status of the search.
The Miami-Dade Fire Department said last week the likelihood of anyone being found alive is slim. They transitioned within 24 hours of the Wednesday collapse from a rescue mission to a recovery operation. But Budhoo's family is hoping for a miracle.
"They assured us they're going to do everything as of now to help us," Donovan Budhoo said Saturday night.
The family was pleased to hear a second crane operator would be brought in to extend the period of time crews could search each day.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
Three other workers died in the collapse. Several others were injured.
Classes at Miami-Dade College's West Campus have been moved to alternate locations for the next several weeks.
