Family Member Of Missing Man From Davenport Building Collapse Pleads To Community

On Tuesday, officials with the City of Davenport, Davenport Police Department, Davenport Fire Department, and others gave an update about the apartment building that partially collapsed Sunday evening. 5 people remain unaccounted for but most likely two people are still inside the apartment building known as "The Davenport".

The two people most likely inside include Branden Colvin and Ryan Hitchcock. Amy Anderson, a family member of Ryan Hitchcock, spoke during the press conference and pleaded with the community to show support, love, and pray for those still unaccounted for, including Ryan.

Amy had a chance to speak during the conference after Davenport Fire Chief Mike Carlsten. During her time at the podium, she pleaded with the community to not have the protests escalate and to let the City do its job and implement its plan.

This is the full transcript from Amy's time during Tuesday's press conference:

"Hi. Thank you for taking my statement and allowing me to speak. First off I would like to say that I completely wanted to come and make my voice heard on behalf of Ryan. I was extremely close with him and I would know that he would want what I'm about to say.

We did meet with the City last night and did get a lot more information and was able to speak through our concerns with them. And in leaving with last night I was completely, just kind of mortified about the protests, and the people, you know, raising a voice - and they don't know Ryan and they don't know our family. The City does have a plan and pushing any delays is one more day he is under there.

Going through all of this, Ryan wouldn't want anyone else to put their lives at risk to unfortunately [find] somebody who probably has not survived. I don't discount that he could be trapped under there miraculously. We've seen some miraculous things and our God is good but we don't want to see any more families lose their lives or anybody else be injured in trying to remove that rubble and have anything fall. We would like to see the City with their plan is to kind of take it out piece by piece.

They have given us their word that they are going to treat that already collapsed area with sensitivity to the remains that are underneath there and excavate them as soon as possible and recover them. That's really what we want. We do not want a full-on demolition or a full-on delay for that building to even collapse more and put more rubble on top of them which then would make things longer and more unlikely that there's any survivors underneath of there.

So I plead with our community to just to let the City do their job. Right now, it's an absolute no-win situation but this is the best plan of attack. And we don't want anyone else hurt and we just want to recover, you know, our family.

So, Ryan was - he loved Jesus and we know he is with the Lord and we just pray you would respect our family's wishes and what he would want and we do not, absolutely do not, want this to escalate into something that gets more intense and more violent. It is the last thing this community needs right now, we just need to be pulling together and focusing on who has already lost, what we can provide them, and support the City in their best efforts to take that building down safely and recover what's already underneath of there.

I just plead with you guys just to stop. Just proceed in love, proceed in giving, proceed in hope and support, and prayers, and that's what we need. Thank you."

Our thoughts and prayers are with both Branden and Ryan's families as they continue to get answers and find them. You can see the full press conference from Tuesday morning here. Amy's part begins at this link:

Davenport Fire Department Transitions To Recovery Operation

The Davenport Fire Department has transitioned to a recovery operation at 324 Main Street and turned control of the site over to the Davenport Development and Neighborhood Services Department.

The owner of the property has been served with a notice and order for demolition of the property. The property is currently being secured by a contractor on site this afternoon and demolition is expected to commence in the morning.

Due to the unstable condition of the property, and in the interest of public safety, residents will not be allowed back into the building.

Our news partner, KWQC, gives details on how people displaced by the building collapse can get assistance:

• Red Cross, 1-800-REDCROSS
• Salvation Army, 100 Kirkwood Blvd., 563-324-4808. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week.

The Quad Cities Community Foundation has opened the Quad Cities Disaster Recovery Fund to assist residents who have been displaced. Donations can be made on their website.

For community members who want to make donations in another way can do so through the Davenport Salvation Army. Donations may be dropped off at 4001 N. Brady Street.

Davenport Apartment Building Partially Collapse

On Sunday, May 28 at 4:55 p.m. officials received calls of a partial building collapse in downtown Davenport.

The six-story apartment complex at 324 Main St known as "The Davenport" partially collapsed and separated from the rest of the building.

At this time, no deaths have been reported according to Fire Chief Mike Carlsten but at least one person was "extracted" and taken to the hospital. On Monday, one woman was rescued from the building by the Davenport Fire Department.

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K9 units and rescue teams have been working nonstop in what Carlsten says is the "rescue phase of our operation.".  However, he also stated it would "soon become a recovery operation".

A reunification area was established at St. Anthony’s Church, 417 N. Main St.

Cause of the collapse

At this point, officials are not stating what may have caused the collapse.

Our news partner KWQC spoke with Rich Oswald, director of development and neighborhood services, who said the owner of the building had permits to make repairs to the exterior brick prior to the collapse.

He added that reports of bricks falling from the building earlier this week was part of that work.

Stay with our news partner KWQC for the latest on this developing situation.