Search begins for ironworkers in rubble as Grays Ferry garage is torn down
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Crews have begun an around-the-clock recovery effort after demolishing a partially collapsed parking garage in Grays Ferry on Sunday.
Within minutes of the structure being torn down Sunday evening, search teams entered the debris field with a cadaver dog, looking for the men who have been missing since Wednesday's collapse.
"We are at the point we have been waiting for," said Dominick Mireles, director of the city's Office of Emergency Management.
The demolition marked a critical step following the deadly partial collapse of the garage, which had been under construction for CHOP.
Crews spent the weekend knocking down the unstable structure piece by piece, using a wrecking ball to bring down the remaining sections. The final wall fell shortly before 7 p.m., clearing the way for recovery teams to move in.
STREAMING LIVE: Live camera shows site of Philadelphia parking garage collapse
Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson said the demolition phase was completed without further harm.
"We were able to do it safely without any injuries," Thompson said. "We achieved our goal of demolishing the remainder of the parking garage structure, so we've made this scene safer for our members to continue and to move onto the next phase."
That next phase, he said, is the recovery effort.
"The next phase of this operation is the recovery phase," Thompson said. "It's going to start with removing the larger pieces of concrete that are down, after which we will bring in our technical rescue specialist who will methodically de-layer the area where we believe the lost souls are."
Search crews are now carefully combing through the debris, working through tight slabs of concrete as a cadaver dog assists in detecting scents.
Thompson said the effort will continue uninterrupted until the victims are found.
"We will work 24 hours a day, starting overnight, we are going to work continuously until we can bring those lost souls home to their loved ones," he said.
City officials warned that the overnight operation will bring noise to the surrounding community, and nearby businesses will remain closed.
"We will be in 24 hour operations, there will be noise tonight," Mireles said. "We know it will be an impact to our community, we're sorry for that but we are working as clear eyed as we possibly can and as dedicated as we can to return those ironworkers."
WATCH: Video shows moment Philadelphia parking garage partially collapses
Family members gathered near the site Sunday, watching as crews began the painstaking search.
Among them was Brian Forstater of Cape May, New Jersey, whose cousin, Matthew Kane, is one of the missing workers and is presumed dead.
"He was a good father, a good person. I'm gonna miss him," Forstater said.
He said Kane had worked as an ironworker for more than 20 years and leaves behind a wife and two children. Forstater traveled from the Jersey Shore to be with his aunt, Kane's mother, as they awaited news.
"My aunt Meg, his mom, she's shaken up. It's rough for her," he said.
Forstater described his cousin as someone known for his personality on job sites, including dancing while he worked.
As crews continue their overnight operation, families remain at the scene hoping for closure after days of uncertainty.
Officials said work will continue nonstop until both men are recovered and returned to their loved ones.
