Bodies of 2 Ironworkers pulled from rubble after Philadelphia parking garage collapse that killed 3
Stepan Shevchuk was initially rescued, but later died
PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia officials say they have recovered the bodies of two workers who were trapped in the rubble following a deadly parking garage collapse in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia.
Mayor Cherelle Parker made the announcement on Monday morning.
"They have recovered both individuals with the utmost dignity and compassion and respect for their families and loved ones," she said.
The victims were members of Ironworkers Local 401. They have been identified as Matthew Kane and Mark Scott Jr.
Brian Forstater, a cousin of 51-year-old Kane, spoke to ABC Philadelphia affiliate WPVI Sunday night as he joined his aunt, Kane's mom, to watch crews comb through the rubble.
"Good father, good person, gonna miss him," he said. "Good times at the Thanksgiving table, good laughs."
The family of Mark Scott Jr. has asked for privacy.
A third victim, Stepan Shevchuk, was initially rescued from the garage on Wednesday, but later died at the hospital. A GoFundMe describes him as a 26-year-old, hardworking and cheerful man who came to America from Ukraine 11 years ago seeking a better life.
Crews worked through the weekend to demolish the partially collapsed parking garage after it came crashing down.
WATCH: Video shows moment Philadelphia parking garage partially collapses
Within minutes of the structure being torn down, search teams entered the debris field at 9 p.m. on Sunday with a cadaver dog, looking for the two men who had been missing since Wednesday's collapse.
"Once we got to the stairwell, we literally had our tech rescue folks get in there and use tools of varying types to locate the people," Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson said. "We had to delayer; we had to take it apart piece by piece using shovels, buckets and our hands to get to the people."
The bodies were taken away in an ambulance.
Ironworkers at the site could be seen hugging each other around 5 a.m. as the second ambulance pulled away.
The demolition and recovery marked a critical step following the deadly partial collapse of the garage, which had been under construction for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It was being built to expand CHOP employee parking.
Officials say the site will now transition into the next phase of investigation to determine what went wrong.
Mayor Parker also signed an executive order directing the city solicitor and law department to conduct an independent, comprehensive investigation into the collapse.
Crews continued Monday afternoon to clear debris, repair damaged infrastructure, and remove items needed for the investigation.
Roads in the surrounding area will remain closed while the investigation continues.
