A man who had been missing since a building partially collapsed in Davenport, Iowa, has been found dead. Branden Colvin Sr.’s body was recovered on Saturday, and his family has been notified. Two other men, Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien, are still missing. The building, which was over 100 years old and contained 84 apartments and businesses, collapsed on May 28. Nine people were rescued from the site, but the remaining structure is unstable, making rescue efforts difficult. Operations have now shifted to securing what is left of the building. Colvin Sr.’s son received his high school diploma on the same day his father’s body was found.
A search and rescue operation in Des Moines, Iowa has concluded with the recovery of a missing man believed to be the only victim of a partial building collapse earlier this month.
At approximately 3:30 pm on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 1st, part of a one-story building in North Des Moines collapsed, trapping at least one person in the rubble. Firefighters from the Des Moines Fire Department responded immediately and began a search and rescue effort to locate the missing person.
For two weeks, emergency workers and volunteers worked tirelessly to extricate the victim from the debris. On April 13th, the Missing Person Task Force of Polk County announced that the body of the missing man had been located and recovered from the wreckage. The identity of the victim has not been released, pending notification of relatives.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be determined and is under investigation by the Des Moines Fire Department. At this time, no other persons have been reported missing or injured in the incident.
The response of the Des Moines Fire Department, Missing Person Task Force, and local volunteers is greatly appreciated at a time like this. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victim.
