On Wednesday, June 23rd, Erick De Moura was visiting his girlfriend, Fernanda Figueiredo, when he was caught in the rain.
De Moura wanted to go home.
“I had an appointment in the morning and my clothes were all wet," he said. "I didn’t have anything to change at her place and I wanted to sleep in my own bed.”
But, a rare midweek chance to spend some time alone spurred Fernanda to make a request.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
"Stay with me," she said she told her boyfriend.
Erick agreed - and at 5 a.m. the next morning, he woke up to the news of a collapse at his condo building, Champlain Tower South in Surfside.
“If it wasn’t for her, I would be dead," he said. "When I saw the images, I couldn't believe it. It was shocking. That was my home."
Erick lived on the 10th floor of the northside of the building. He knows of no other survivors from his side of the complex.
"You know, I believe God worked his miracle through her," he said. "She definitely saved my life.”
