PA Task Force One returns home after assisting Miami condo collapse recovery efforts
PHILADELPHIA - Families waited as their loved ones from Pennsylvania Task Force One returned home Friday afternoon, with some excited and others in tears.
Aldo Morelli is back home after spending 17 days in Surfside, Florida. He joined others in the search for victims of the collapsed condo high-rise building.
"It felt really good to bring closure to these families and these guys worked amazingly, and I'm proud to be a member of Pennsylvania Task Force One," Morelli said.
The family of Brandon Watkins, a fire lieutenant from Baltimore County, Maryland, was among those who returned Friday.
"It was very nice to see them here. It's a very emotional comfort," Watkins said. "It was very long, we were working 12 hours so my shift worked on midnight ‘till noon so it was just very long days trying to help them out as much as possible."
The PA Task Force joined others from surrounding areas. The teams included doctors, structural engineers, and K-9 units to offer a break to Florida search crews and aid in the rescue and recovery effort.
Phil Colvin is a K-9 search specialist and returned with partner Lucky.
"You're seeing all the personal things that are in a typical house and it's much different," Colvin said.
Stephanie Scott waited on her dad and says she’s happy to take him home to Manayunk.
"Probably just give him a hug and then next week go get a beer or something," she said.
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