Long Island native among the missing

A 65-year-old woman originally from Long Island is among the 159 people still missing after the deadly Florida condo tower collapse — and her family said the “waiting is torture.” 

Judy Spiegel was staying at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, near Miami Beach, when part of the building collapsed into rubble around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to reports. 

Her family lived on Long Island and in Westchester before ultimately settling in Florida, WPIX reported. She is originally from the town of Plainview, according to WCBS.

Judy Spiegel is originally from Nassau County.
Judy Spiegel is originally from Nassau County.
Handout
Judy Spiegel with her daughter Rachel.
Judy Spiegel’s daughter Rachel said the two had talked the night before the collapse.
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Judy Spiegel and her son Josh
Spiegel, who is among the 159 people missing after the collapse, also has a son named Josh.
Instagram

The family had bought the condo about 4½ years ago, and Judy had been staying there full-time throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WPIX. 

Her daughter, Rachel Spiegel, told the outlet she had just had a “positive conversation” with her mother the night before the collapse.

They had just discussed a princess dress that Judy had ordered for one of Rachel’s daughters, CNN reported.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel spray water on a fire after the incident.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel spray water on a fire after the collapse.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Spiegel's son Josh also lives in Florida.
Spiegel’s son Josh also lives in Florida.
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Rescue workers walk among the rubble
Family called Spiegel “a fighter” and they have vowed to keep looking for her.
Marta Lavandier/AP

Rachel described the scene as “horrific” and “indescribable,” and said that her mind has been racing with questions, including, “Why did this happen?”

“Waiting is torture,” she told WPIX. 

Judy Spiegel, who has three children and three grandchildren, is “the most selfless person,” according to her daughter. 

“You know, we just want to be with our mom,” Rachel told WCBS. “What we’re hoping for is they’ll find her quickly and that she’s still alive.”

“She was the best, our best friend,” her son Josh Spiegel told the network. “I can’t live without her.” 

“My mom is an absolutely amazing person,” Josh, who lives in Orlando, added to CNN. “She’s a fighter, and she fights for every single one of us, and we won’t stop … fighting until we find her.”

Spiegel and the family had bought the condo at the building a little over four years ago.
Spiegel and the family had bought the condo at the building a little over four years ago.
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The debris from the partially collapsed building.
The debris from the partially collapsed building.
AFP via Getty Images
Search and rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers.
Search-and-rescue personnel hunt for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers.
David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP

Judy’s husband, Kevin Spiegel, lived in the towers with his wife but told the network he was on a business trip in California at the time of the collapse. 

“We have a lot of hope that Judy is still alive, and still there,” her husband said. “She’s an amazing person.”

Four people were confirmed dead in the collapse Friday.

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