Clock Ticking: Family Urgently Pleads for Man Trapped in Warehouse Collapse

Phoenix Fire says they will be at the toppled warehouse for as long as it takes to find 22-year-old Oswaldo Montoya.

PHOENIX — Nearly 48 hours after a warehouse worker in west Phoenix was trapped under the partially collapsed roof, his family tells us they are desperate to find 22-year-old Oswaldo Montoya.

“Time is running, and he’s running out of time,” said Judith Montoya, Oswaldo’s older sister.

Montoya, a father of a 2-week-old baby, had worked at the facility for about a year, according to his family. On Tuesday night, severe weather tore through his workplace at 43rd Ave and Van Buren, causing the north side of the roof to collapse. Montoya was the only worker who didn’t make it out before the roof came down.

“He’s very loving. He’s very caring. He cares for his family, he cares for his sisters, for his mom, for his dad, just like we care for him and we’re here for him, just waiting for him,” Judith said.

Throughout Friday, search and rescue crews utilized a large crane and chainsaws to remove substantial blocks of concrete. Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller reported that they’ve removed over 40,000 pounds of concrete in their search efforts.

“Even when we remove these concrete slabs, we still have to dig through that stuff. And that’s why we have the urban search and rescue dogs. They’re working in 10 minute cycles. We have a total of eight dogs, and they’re working just as hard as our firefighters are,” Keller explained.

Montoya’s family has voiced their frustration with the perceived slow pace of the rescue operation, calling for greater urgency.

“It’s still the same. We just want our brother out right now, where is he? You know, he’s not here. He’s not here,” Judith reiterated.

Keller assured that the Phoenix Fire Department is supporting the Montoya family in every possible way, including deploying their community assistance team members to help the family.

He also highlighted the ongoing concern of a potential secondary collapse of the remaining walls, which could further complicate rescue efforts and endanger the search crews.

“We will exhaust our resources to tend to their needs,” Keller stated. “We are praying for a miracle right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Our fire chief is on scene, along with our other executive staff. This is a very important call for us, and everybody is involved all the way from the top to the bottom.”

The operation to find Montoya remains a rescue mission, with all involved holding out hope for his safe recovery.