Iowa Woman, 52, Rescued from Partially Collapsed Apartment Building Hours Before Demolition

Rescue efforts had been called off when Lisa Brooks, who had been hiding under her couch for a full day in fear, notified family she was still inside

A ninth resident has been rescued from an apartment building in Davenport, Iowa more than a day after the six-story building unexpectedly collapsed and just hours before demolition was scheduled to begin to tear it down.

Lisa Brooks, 52, was rescued from the fourth floor of the six-story building by local authorities Monday night, multiple outlets including NBC News reported.

Video of the scene taken by locals and broadcast by the Today show captured crowds gathering around the building, many of whom were loved ones of other residents who remain undiscovered. They cheered as Brooks waved from the window of her apartment and firefighters safely removed her via a large latter.

Brooks, who according to her family is disabled, has long complained about condition of the building, the Today show reported. When a portion of the building fell Sunday, Brooks hid under her couch in shock and fear, according to the outlet.

She was discovered after calling her daughter to tell them she was still inside, the Quad-City Times reported. Following her rescue, she was transported to a local hospital, though is reportedly uninjured.

Her nephew, Antoine Smith Jr., told the Quad-City Times he was “overwhelmed with joy” after seeing his aunt alive. He and his family had been posted outside the apartment building all day before Brooks was rescued.

“I burst into an overflow of emotions," Smith said. "Because I've been holding in so much stuff in order to be strong for everybody else, and my family that was down there, trying to keep them calm.”

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The building, known as The Davenport, collapsed unexpectedly Sunday afternoon. Local police and fire departments responded to a report of a building collapse at approximately 4:55 p.m., and more than a dozen residents were evacuated, according to a release.

According to Matson and Davenport Fire Chief Mike Carlsten, the building’s integrity was of concern prior to the partial collapse. Responders found a “large gas leak, with water leaking from all floors of the structure,” Carlsten said during a press conference reported by Quad-City Times.

As of 9:45 a.m. Monday, local authorities had abandoned rescue efforts for the fallen building and transitioned to a “recovery operation,” according to a police press release. They claimed canines had thoroughly combed the site and that no viable signs of life were found and no victims in need of rescue were identified.

They added the building was "structurally unsound" and therefore posed a danger to rescue workers.

City officials quickly deemed the building in imminent danger of further collapse, sharing plans to demolish the remaining structure to secure the area’s safety. 

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But residences have been protesting, begging police to continue to try to search for survivors and asking the city to stop demolition plans in hopes for the safe return of their loved ones. They insist more people — like Brooks — could be alive inside.

"Find our people! Find our people!" they changed in videos that aired on Today.

The city’s police department has been working to make contact with all residents of the building, but there are several individuals who remain unaccounted for.

“This situation is devastating to the residents of this building and also to our community,” Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said. “My heartfelt condolences go out to those who have lost their home and possessions. My prayers are with the families of those who remain unaccounted for and for a swift recovery for those who were injured.”

Demolition plans, NBC News reported, were now "under evaluation" according to the city.

“With the current structure in imminent danger of collapse, the necessity to demolish this building stems specifically from our desire to maintain as much safety for the surrounding areas as possible,” Rich Oswald, Director of Development and Neighborhood Services, said in a release Tuesday morning. “We appreciate the expertise of the professionals collaborating on site to determine the best way to do this."

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In the aftermath of the collapse, residents shared what they had heard and seen on Sunday afternoon.

Building cleaner Tadd Machovec recalled  hearing "a lot of screams and a lot of cries" when part of the building went down.

"That did not last," he told WQAD. "2 or 3 minutes and then the whole area was silent. I'm hoping and praying that the screams that I heard when the building came down were not people inside of it."

Former tenant Andrew Sommer told KWQC: “I live in the building just next to it and we heard just like a large crash and then shortly after we went outside and saw the whole section of the building gone."

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