Former Ardsley woman among missing in Florida building collapse

A woman who once lived in Ardsley is one of nearly 50 residents missing in the building collapse in Surfside, Florida.

News 12 Staff

Jun 24, 2021, 4:49 PM

Updated 1,278 days ago

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A woman who once lived in Ardsley is one of nearly 100 residents believed missing in the building collapse in Surfside, Florida.
Fire officials say teams pulled dozens of survivors from the rubble, but there are concerns that others may still be trapped.
Judy Spiegel, 66, who lived in Ardsley in the late '90s and early 2000s, is one of the missing residents. She moved to Florida two years ago. Even though they relocated, the family says they have maintained strong ties to the Westchester County - and many local families are worried about Spiegel.
Her worried family has asked her closest friends to pray for a miracle.
Rachel Spiegel, the daughter of Judy Spiegel, says she, her father and brothers were in a community center near the building looking at all the devastation, knowing Judy is somewhere in there and that she may not be alive.
Rachel Spiegel says Judy was the only one in their sixth-floor apartment.
Judy's husband, Kevin, who is a former executive at the Westchester Medical Center, was away on business in Los Angeles.
Rachel Spiegel tells News 12 that emergency personnel are starting to take DNA tests on relatives in the community center so that when they find people in the debris, they can identify who they are.
"It's horrible. It's our worst nightmare. I mean, our mom is the glue to our family. She's the best person in the entire world. We love her so much. We are not giving up hope. We are going to fight for her," says Rachel Spiegel.
It is unclear what caused part of the 12-story building to collapse. At least one person was killed.