Washington, DC, building collapse leaves worker paralyzed from knees down: report
The worker had studied engineering in Brazil and was pursuing 'his American dream,' his sister told reports
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A building that collapsed last week in Washington, D.C., has left a worker paralyzed from the knees down, according to local reports.
The five-story building was under construction in northwest D.C. when it collapsed on July 1, leaving several people injured, including 27-year-old Leonardo Moreto Da Silva, who was trapped in the rubble for more than an hour.
Da Silva's sister, Leidiane Guimaraes, told Fox 5 D.C. that her brother remains in the ICU. Doctors told their family that he is paralyzed from the knees down and will now have to use a wheelchair, she told the outlet.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Guimaraes set up a GoFundMe page to help Da Silva pay his medical expenses.
One person was trapped in the rubble for roughly an hour and a half, but firefighters were communicating with him and able to rescue him at about 5 p.m. (DC Fire and EMS)
"My brother Leonardo … came to the USA to pursue his American dream," Guimaraes wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Unfortunately, his dreams were interrupted by a brutal building collapse in downtown Washington DC on Thursday, July 1st, 2021. Leo was trapped under rubble and miraculously rescued by a special operations team with DC Fire and EMS."
Guimaraes continued: "Although we are praising the LORD for protecting his life, Leo was left paralyzed and unable to walk. He went through a spine surgery and is recovering at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He will then be transferred to a rehabilitation clinic to continue his long way to recovery."
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She added that while recovery will be a "very long process," Da Silva's family is "staying positive and believing in the power of God and in the great medical team involved in his care."
Guimaraes told Fox 5 that her brother studied engineering in Brazil, came to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic and applied for a student visa.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One person was trapped in the rubble for roughly an hour and a half, but firefighters were communicating with him and able to rescue him at about 5 p.m. (DC Fire and EMS)
A spokesperson for DC Fire and EMS told Fox News last week that while they did not know the exact cause behind the collapse, a severe thunderstorm was passing through the area at the time the building went down.
"Two structures to the right suffered some damage secondary to the collapse and a vacant structure to the right suffered major damage," the spokesperson said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Four other people, not including Da Silva, were immediately helped out of the collapsed building and transported to a local hospital when first responders got to the scene at about 3:30 p.m. Their injuries were not life-threatening, officials said.
A video posted by DC Fire and EMS showed multiple firefighters using saws and other tools to try to dig through the rubble.
Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report.