Last survivor of Surfside reunited with rescuers three weeks after mother was confirmed as a victim

‘The first time we saw these nameless heroes was on the news reels as they were pulling my boy out of the rubble,’ says father

A teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of the Surfside, Florida condo collapse that killed his mother and scores of others has been reunited with his rescuers.

Jonah Handler, 15, was saved from the rubble shortly after Champlain Towers South collapsed. The team of rescuers has since been working tirelessly to find survivors in the wake of the tragedy.

Posting pictures of Jonah standing with two of the people who saved him, his father Neil Handler wrote on his GoFundMe page: “The first time we saw these nameless heroes was on the news reels as they were pulling my boy out of the rubble ... now with God’s grace we stand next to each other sharing thanks and hope.”

Jonah’s mother, Stacie Fang, was killed in the collapse, along with at least 96 others. Teams of workers have been on the scene since the collapse, but the mission has since changed from rescue to recovery.

“At this step in the recovery process it has become increasingly difficult to identify victims, and we are relying heavily on the work of the medical examiner’s office and the scientific, technical process of identifying human remains,” said a press release from Miami-Dade Mayor’s office.

“This work becomes more difficult with the passage of time although our teams are working as hard and as fast as they can.”

No one has been found alive since the immediate aftermath of the collapse, with just a handful of people pulled from the rubble at the time.

Jonah’s rescue was caught on video, with witness Nicholas Balboa telling Fox News that he saw the building come down and saw Jonah’s fingers poking out through the rubble. He said Jonah told him: “Don’t leave me, don’t leave me.”

Mr Handler added on his page: “Jonah was the first and possibly only survivor of the Miami Champlain Tower South condo collapse.

“As if that traumatic event is not enough for a young teenager to recover from, he also will be grieving the loss of his mother Stacie Fang on the road of healing and dealing with this trauma.

Jonah was pulled from the rubble shortly after the building collapsed (AP)

“Jonah is a sweet and caring boy with an incredible heart loved by everyone who knows him.”

“We have also been overwhelmed and humbled by all those who have supported us with donations, food, clothing, and care (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) during this unimaginable time in his and our lives. A very special thanks to all of the 1st responders, especially Dave, Charlie, Kenny, Corey, Cesar and Alex,” Mr Handler added.