Tenants died from asphyxiation in structural collapse
DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - The three men killed in the downtown Davenport structural collapse of their apartment building died from multiple blunt force injuries and asphyxiation.
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said Brandon Colvin, Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien died from lack of oxygen while in the rubble at 324 Main St. Davenport on May 28. The manner of deaths were listed as accidents. No times of death were provided.
The state said the type of asphyxiation was “mechanical.” According to the National Institute of Health, that term is used to describe crush injuries or the positioning of the body preventing breathing.
On June 5 the city said three bodies were recovered from the rubble: Colvin on June 3 at 11:59 a.m., Hitchcock on June 4 at 12:25 p.m., and Prien on June 5 at 2:30 a.m.
On May 30, Hitchcock’s mother Linda Feliksiak told a KWQC reporter that she didn’t believe he was still alive.
The same day, Colvin’s cousin, Preston McDowell, reacted to the city’s news conference about plans to dismantle the rest of the building. “Y’all want to tear down the building, and you know, you got five people still unaccountable for, help me many understand that,” McDowell said.
The city said they delayed announcing the recovery of the bodies to notify all the families.
Dismantling of the building was completed on June 21 with cleanup following.
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