7-year-old daughter of Miami firefighter found dead in condo collapse—grieving father assists removal of body

Miami Fire Rescue Captain Ignatius "Iggy" Carroll said on Friday afternoon that Florida Task Force 2, Miami's Urban Search and Rescue Team recovered the girl's body on Thursday afternoon, according to WPLG. The firefighter was not the one to find his daughter’s body, but he was there to assist in the removal from the site.

A witness told WPLG that the firefighter draped his jacket on his young daughter’s body, and placed a small American flag on her body. "Fire Rescue personnel escorted them through a group of police officers who lined up on the roadway," wrote WPLG. "We can confirm that a member of our City of Miami Fire Department family has lost his 7-year-old daughter in the collapse," said Miami Fire Rescue Chief Joseph Zahralban in a statement Friday.

Zahralban asked for reporters to respect the family's privacy at this time. He also asked for the public to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers.

The death toll has risen to 20 in the Champlain Towers South collapse, with 128 people still being unaccounted for. The number of those missing has dropped after an audit was completed, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava cited.

"It was truly different and more difficult for our first responders. These men and woman are paying an enormous human toll each and every day, and I ask that all of you please keep them in your thoughts and prayers," Cava said at the news briefing. Recovery efforts resumed on Thursday evening after temporarily halting due to concerns over the remaining structure's stability.

"We will continue to search feverishly, as we have done all along in the parts of the collapse that we currently have access to," said Cava.