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First Surfside condo collapse victim identified as Stacie Fang, mother of rescued boy

The 15-year-old boy rescued is Jonah Handler, a junior varsity baseball player at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.
Rescue workers work in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo Friday in Surfside.
Rescue workers work in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo Friday in Surfside. [ GERALD HERBERT | AP ]
Published June 25, 2021|Updated June 25, 2021

Stacie Fang, whose son was dramatically rescued from the rubble after the Surfside condominium collapse, is the first victim to be identified by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office.

Fang was taken to Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, but died.

Her sister, Virginia Borges, told the Washington Post Thursday that she had been trying to get information on her sister all day.

“He was rescued, but he has no idea what happened to his mother,” Borges told the post.

Related: Florida condo collapse: Live updates from Surfside

The 15-year-old boy rescued is Jonah Handler, a junior varsity baseball player at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens, according to Local 10.

On Friday, the family of Handler and Fang families released a statement:

“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie. The members of the Fang and Handler family would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, compassion and support we have received. The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much needed source of strength during this devastating time. On behalf of Stacie’s son, Jonah, we ask you now to please respect our privacy to grieve and to try to help each other heal.”

Miami Herald writer Asta Hemenway contributed to this report.

SURVIVORS OF THE COLLAPSE: Residents of the building tell the story of how they escaped.