A woman who lost her leg in a building collapse in Iowa shared her harrowing story of how she survived by protecting her head and face and staying away from dripping water to avoid drowning.
Quanishia “Peach” White Berry and her wife Lexus were at their six-story apartment building on May 28 when they noticed cracks forming on their windows.
Speaking to CNN, she said: “Imagine hearing a building being demolished. That’s what it sounded like when everything just fell down – and I fell.”
After six hours under the rubble, Berry said she remembers thinking, “I have to make it, especially for her. I have to survive this, I have to be able to tell this story.”
Berry said that gallons of water poured down her body from pipes and that she covered her face with pieces of debris to avoid drowning.
Quanishia White Berry (right) and her wife Lexus (left) were at their Davenport home when the building collapsed
An aerial view shows part of a six-story apartment building after the collapse
Berry said, “I’ve thrown gallons of water all over me, I’m soaking wet and there’s metal all over me.” I grabbed bits of the ground and covered my head to keep from drowning.’
After rescue workers spent hours walking their way to her, rescue teams had to amputate her leg at the scene of the accident.
dr Calvin Atwell, a trauma surgeon at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, told CNN, “She was losing quite a bit of blood from her right leg and you could see an open wound.”
“We crawled in there and put a tourniquet on that leg and they worked diligently to free the leg.”
Realizing it would not be possible to free it, Atwell performed an above-knee amputation in the derelict building using a knife and power saw while members of the search and rescue team shed light on the procedure.
He continued, “When she didn’t respond, we just made a decision: let’s get her out of here.”
“We knew she was trapped for six hours and we knew she wouldn’t survive much longer.”
Of her recovery, she said, “I look forward to healing and good treatment and care.”
“I see myself running again.” I don’t feel stopped at all.’
Terrible on-site surveillance footage shows the building is completely collapsing.
Only seconds before, clouds of dust can be seen pouring out of the building.
When the building partially collapsed, three people died and dozens of homes were destroyed.
Branden Colvin Sr., 42, Ryan Hitchcock, 51, and Daniel Prien, 60, were believed to be at home during the collapse and were reported missing after initial rescue efforts.
Earlier this week, the city’s police chief, Jeff Bladel, said there was no information about any other missing persons at this time.
In the meantime, the first lawsuit has already been filed against the city and building owners.
The bodies of Branden Colvin Sr., 42, Ryan Hitchcock, 51, and Daniel Prien, 60, were recovered nearly a week after the building collapsed
Children use chalk to draw on the ground where the building partially collapsed last month
Gov. Kim Reynolds (center) speaks with local officials while touring the site where the apartment building collapsed Monday
Earlier this week, the city’s police chief, Jeff Bladel, said there was no information about any other missing persons at this time.
In the meantime, the first lawsuit has already been filed against the city and building owners.
Tenant Dayna Feuerbach has repeatedly accused the City of Davenport and the building’s current and former owners of negligence, claiming they were aware of the deteriorating conditions and failed to warn residents of the risk.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages and indicates that further lawsuits are likely.
Berry and her wife Lexus have also filed a similar lawsuit against the city following their horrific ordeal.
Mayor Mike Matson said Monday that neither he nor other city officials have had contact with building owner Andrew Wold.
On May 30, Wold released a statement that said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with our tenants.” He has not commented further since then.
County records show that Davenport Hotel LLC acquired the building in 2021 for $4.2 million.
Chief Bladel said the Davenport Fire Department’s office has opened an investigation into the building collapse with the help of the State Criminal Investigation Department, the Davenport Police Department and the Coroner’s Office.
Built in 1907 as a hotel, the building has been converted into about 80 residential units, where about 50 people lived.