What happened to Branden Colvin? Fundraiser launched as Davenport building collapse resident found dead

The body of 42-year-old Branden Colvin Sr. was recovered by officials on Saturday, June 3, 2023, one week after he died in a building collapse. The collapse took place in downtown Davenport on May 28, 2023, after the structure's foundation suddenly toppled. Branden, an Iowa native, was one of the three people who went missing after the collapse. Officials have noted that the structure is continuing to degrade.

Davenport officials said that the search for other victims of the building collapse is still ongoing. They said that since a week has passed since the building collapsed on Saturday, May 28, they didn't expect the missing individuals to be alive. Authorities identified the victims as Colvin, Ryan Hitchcock 51, and Daniel Prien, 60, who all lived in the section of the building that collapsed.

In the wake of the accident, Branden Colvin's family launched a fundraiser to assist with funeral expenses. The initiative has raised $188 of a $10,000 goal.

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Timeline of the apartment collapse which killed Branden Colvin

The GoFundMe campaign launched by Branden Colvin Sr.'s family said that the complex partially collapsed a week ago. At the time of the collapse around 12 people were evacuated from the scene and authorities evacuated eight more residents and multiple pets some 24 hours after the collapse.

As per ABC News, throughout the search effort, the urban search and rescue team, Iowa Task Force 1, searched the crumbling foundation with live and cadaver dogs. The team, which was trained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is still involved in attempting to find the unaccounted victims.

In a public statement, officials said that the work will continue all day while crews will work 12-hour shifts round the clock to find the victims.

City officials said that the building continues to degrade and that they are working on approaching the situation delicately. They also announced that they can't remove the debris as it may destabilize the foundation.

As per USA Today, Branden Colvin Sr's son, Branden Colvin Jr, was sleeping at the site of the accident, waiting for some updates from the police. He graduated high school on the same day that authorities recovered his father's body from the site of the accident. His family said that a part of the money from the fundraising initiative is supposed to be used for his future.

Rich Oswald, the director of development and neighborhood services for the city of Davenport, also spoke about the incident. Oswald said that the building collapse happened while the building was undergoing renovations. The director noted that while the work was being carried out, certain bricks fell from the building but the construction teams didn't believe that it was any cause for alarm.

The collapse of the building currently remains under investigation by Iowa authorities. They have not yet confirmed any possible theories about the circumstances behind the accident.