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Article Courtesy of The Miami Beach Patch
By Paul Scicchitano
Published August 6, 2018
MIAMI BEACH -- A demolition worker struck by flying debris in the July 23
collapse of a former Miami Beach oceanfront condominium, has died from his
injuries, according to Miami Beach police. Forty-two-year-old Samuel Landis
was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition following the
building collapse. He died Friday afternoon.
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"The investigation remains active and open," Ernesto
Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department told Patch. "As such, no
additional information is currently available."
The former oceanfront Marlborough House condominium building collapsed when
a planned demolition went horribly wrong. Witnesses described hearing a
thunderous crash as the high-rise building came tumbling down like a house
of cards. The building was located at 5775 Collins Avenue.
"Obviously during that demolition something went terribly wrong," Miami
Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told reporters at the time.
Police said that Landis was associated with the demolition project.
Workers from GC Construction of Miami captured the
building collapse on cellphone video. GC Construction was not involved in
the project but happened to be in the area at the time. Company officials
gave Patch permission to include the video. It shows first responders
treating Landis.
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One witness who asked not to be identified told Patch that it appeared as
though the construction crew was in the process of conducting a controlled
demolition of the building when something went wrong.
"The building just went down," he said. "I didn't hear any explosions just
the concrete breaking apart."
He added that the construction crew had been taking photos and video just
prior to the collapse of the building.
Antonio and Antonia Leiva from Chile told Patch that the crash sounded like
a lightening strike.
"It sounded like a storm," explained Antonia Leiva, translating for her
father.
Police said that a permit had been taken out to demolish the former
oceanfront condominium but that the demolition permit did not cover an
implosion of the building. |
