At 01:00 on Tuesday, Carwin was sharing a long-awaited reunion celebration with his mother, Carmin, at the Jet Set nightclub when he first noticed debris falling from the ceiling. Initially dismissing it as unimportant, both were soon engulfed in a nightmare as the roof collapsed, resulting in a devastating event that would change their lives forever. "I remember the screams, the loud noise of the ceiling crashing in, my mom calling out to me," Carwin stated, sharing the terror that unfolded within seconds.
Despite suffering minor injuries from falling debris, Carwin prioritized their escape and eventually found a door to the outside. However, in the frenzy, he realized that his friend Jessica and her sister were still trapped inside and instinctively rushed back into the chaos to search for them. "I felt powerless," Carwin admitted as he navigated the wreckage, desperately yelling for his friend and making repeated attempts to call for help, but the fear of being unable to help those trapped weighed heavily on him.
The scene outside was frenetic, with first responders arriving moments after the collapse, but Carwin felt frustrated as he witnessed the chaos unfold. "People were going crazy, pulling out injured individuals," he recalled, a haunting image in his mind when he saw a fallen saxophonist being retrieved from the debris.
After spending an hour and a half at the site, struggling with the trauma of the chaos, Carwin realized he had to take his mother home for her safety and comfort, despite his instinct to continue searching for his friend. Later that day, the tragic news of Jessica and her sister's deaths would reach him, deepening his sorrow. "It was horrible not being able to help her," Carwin lamented. "It feels awful not being able to do anything."
As the death toll rose amid the shock of the nightclub collapse, the heart-wrenching tales of those impacted serve as a powerful reminder of fragility and loss.
Despite suffering minor injuries from falling debris, Carwin prioritized their escape and eventually found a door to the outside. However, in the frenzy, he realized that his friend Jessica and her sister were still trapped inside and instinctively rushed back into the chaos to search for them. "I felt powerless," Carwin admitted as he navigated the wreckage, desperately yelling for his friend and making repeated attempts to call for help, but the fear of being unable to help those trapped weighed heavily on him.
The scene outside was frenetic, with first responders arriving moments after the collapse, but Carwin felt frustrated as he witnessed the chaos unfold. "People were going crazy, pulling out injured individuals," he recalled, a haunting image in his mind when he saw a fallen saxophonist being retrieved from the debris.
After spending an hour and a half at the site, struggling with the trauma of the chaos, Carwin realized he had to take his mother home for her safety and comfort, despite his instinct to continue searching for his friend. Later that day, the tragic news of Jessica and her sister's deaths would reach him, deepening his sorrow. "It was horrible not being able to help her," Carwin lamented. "It feels awful not being able to do anything."
As the death toll rose amid the shock of the nightclub collapse, the heart-wrenching tales of those impacted serve as a powerful reminder of fragility and loss.
