Survivor whose leg had to be amputated in building collapse describes harrowing six-hour ordeal

A woman who lost her leg in a building collapse in Iowa shared her harrowing story of how she survived by protecting her head and face and moving away from dripping water to avoid drowning.

Quanishia “Peach” White Berry and her wife Lexus were in their six-story apartment building on May 28 when they noticed cracks beginning to form in their windows.

Speak against CNNshe said, “Imagine hearing a building break down, that’s what it sounded like when everything fell—and I fell.”

After six hours under the rubble, Berry said she remembered thinking, “I’ve got to get it, especially for her.” I have to survive this, I have to be able to tell this story.’

Berry said gallons of water poured over her from pipes and she used pieces of debris to cover her face from drowning.

Berry said, “I’ve got gallons of water pouring over me, I’m soaking wet with metal everywhere. I took pieces off the floor and covered my head so I wouldn’t drown.’

After hours of rescuers coming to her, rescue teams had to amputate her leg on the spot.

Dr. Calvin Atwell, a trauma surgeon at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, shared CNN: ‘She was losing quite a bit of blood from her right leg and you could see an open wound.

“We crawled in and put a tourniquet on that leg and they worked hard to get that leg free.”

After realizing they wouldn’t be able to extricate it, Atwell performed an above-knee amputation with a knife and power saw inside the crumbling building while members of the search and rescue team shed light on the procedure.

He continued, “When she stopped responding, we made a decision: Let’s get her out of here.

“We knew she was trapped for six hours and we knew she wouldn’t survive much longer.”

She said of her recovery, “I look forward to healing and good treatment and good care.

“I can see myself walking again. I don’t feel held back in any way.’

Gruesome surveillance captured at the scene shows the building collapsing completely.

A few seconds earlier, clouds of dust can be seen emanating from the building.

Three people were killed and dozens of apartments were destroyed when the building partially collapsed.

Branden Colvin Sr., 42, Ryan Hitchcock, 51, and Daniel Prien, 60, were believed to have been home during the collapse and were reported missing after initial rescues.

Earlier this week, the city’s police chief, Jeff Bladel, said there is currently no information on any additional missing persons.

The first lawsuit against the city and the owner of the building has already been filed.

Earlier this week, the city’s police chief, Jeff Bladel, said there is currently no information on any additional missing persons.

The first lawsuit against the city and the owner of the building has already been filed.

Tenant Dayna Feuerbach has accused the city of Davenport, as well as the building’s current and former owners, of multiple counts of negligence, claiming they knew of the deteriorating conditions and failed to warn residents of the risk.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and notes that more lawsuits are likely.

Berry and her wife Lexus also filed a similar lawsuit against the city after their horrific ordeal.

Mayor Mike Matson said Monday that neither he nor other city officials have had contact with building owner Andrew Wold.

On May 30, Wold released a statement saying “our thoughts and prayers are with our tenants.” He has not released any additional statements since then.

County records show Davenport Hotel LLC acquired the building for $4.2 million in 2021.

Chief Bladel said the Davenport Fire Department’s office had launched an investigation into the building’s collapse with help from the state’s Division of Criminal Investigations, the Davenport Police Department and the medical examiner’s office.

The building, which had been built as a hotel in 1907, had been converted into about 80 apartments that could accommodate about 50 people.