A 65-year-old woman originally from Long Island is among the 159 people still missing after the deadly Florida condo tower collapse — and her family said the “waiting is torture.”
Judy Spiegel was staying at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, near Miami Beach, when part of the building collapsed into rubble around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to reports.
Her family lived on Long Island and in Westchester before ultimately settling in Florida, WPIX reported. She is originally from the town of Plainview, according to WCBS.
Judy Spiegel is originally from Nassau County. Handout
Judy Spiegel’s daughter Rachel said the two had talked the night before the collapse. Instagram
Spiegel, who is among the 159 people missing after the collapse, also has a son named Josh. InstagramThe family had bought the condo about 4½ years ago, and Judy had been staying there full-time throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WPIX.
Her daughter, Rachel Spiegel, told the outlet she had just had a “positive conversation” with her mother the night before the collapse.
They had just discussed a princess dress that Judy had ordered for one of Rachel’s daughters, CNN reported.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel spray water on a fire after the collapse. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Spiegel’s son Josh also lives in Florida. Instagram
Family called Spiegel “a fighter” and they have vowed to keep looking for her. Marta Lavandier/APRachel described the scene as “horrific” and “indescribable,” and said that her mind has been racing with questions, including, “Why did this happen?”
“Waiting is torture,” she told WPIX.
Judy Spiegel, who has three children and three grandchildren, is “the most selfless person,” according to her daughter.
“You know, we just want to be with our mom,” Rachel told WCBS. “What we’re hoping for is they’ll find her quickly and that she’s still alive.”
“She was the best, our best friend,” her son Josh Spiegel told the network. “I can’t live without her.”
“My mom is an absolutely amazing person,” Josh, who lives in Orlando, added to CNN. “She’s a fighter, and she fights for every single one of us, and we won’t stop … fighting until we find her.”
Spiegel and the family had bought the condo at the building a little over four years ago. Instagram
The debris from the partially collapsed building. AFP via Getty ImagesJudy’s husband, Kevin Spiegel, lived in the towers with his wife but told the network he was on a business trip in California at the time of the collapse.
“We have a lot of hope that Judy is still alive, and still there,” her husband said. “She’s an amazing person.”
Four people were confirmed dead in the collapse Friday.
Search-and-rescue personnel hunt for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers. David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP