By Jessie Forand
SURFSIDE, Fla. — Before leaving Florida on Saturday, members of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) National Rescue Unit were honored for their help in recovery efforts at the site of Surfside’s deadly condo collapse.
The crew was given a key to the county and made honorary commanders of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department, Yahoo News reported.
Yesterday, #MDFR along local and federal task force teams, and family members of the victims, said farewell to the IDF delegation that assisted at the Surfside building collapse. IDF received the Key to the County and were made honorary commanders of MDFR. pic.twitter.com/ZFZwoaAMgu
— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) July 11, 2021
The IDF team’s plane was met with a water salute at Miami International Airport.
This afternoon, #MDFR bid farewell to the IDF delegation that assisted in search and rescue/recovery efforts at the Champlain Towers building collapse in Surfside with a water salute at @iflymia. We wish them a safe flight back home! pic.twitter.com/hvkXVeinXS
— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) July 11, 2021
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue department shared on its Facebook page Sunday that 11,595 cubic yards of rubble had been removed from the collapse site at Champlain Towers South.
The death toll at the site has risen to 94, according to the Sun Sentinel, with 22 still missing.
Other Surfside-related news broke Sunday that Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Isidoro Lopez, his chief of staff, had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Both had been vaccinated.
After this development, the Sun Sentinel reported, COVID tests would be provided at the Surfside command center.