MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has refuted a report in USA Today which said that an employee with the department deleted critical audio files chronicling the search-and-rescue effort of the first frantic hours of the Surfside condo collapse.
The audio included communications that tactical teams had with dispatchers as they searched for survivors in the immediate aftermath of the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South on June 24.
READ MORE: Pedestrian Struck, Killed When Crossing NW 27th Avenue In Miami Gardens
Ninety eight people were killed in the collapse.
READ MORE: Bond Set At $50,000 For Man Connected To Wilton Manors Fentanyl Overdose Incident
In response to the reported claim, Miami-Fire Rescue said the deletion was an accident and they have since rectified it.
MORE NEWS: Medical Emergency At Home Near Fort Lauderdale Sent Four People To The Hospital
“Miami-Dade County keeps records twice as long as required by state law. In an effort to back up the records permanently, an employee made a miscalculation in the timeframe the audio was available for retention, and ultimately failed to properly retain it during that period of time. No Miami-Dade County employee deliberately deleted any audio. The audio was unfortunately purged by the system after a certain time and not by an employee. The audio was later obtained through a third-party service (Broadcastify),” Erika Benitez, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesperson said in a statement.
