'We are broken in pieces': Family of man killed in Vancouver roof collapse wants answers

Vancouver -

A 28-hour long rescue mission ended in tragedy when Ben Sotelo was found dead in the rubble where a rooftop parking lot collapsed in Vancouver.

The 40-year-old worked at Guenther Bakeries as a human resources regional director before his life was tragically cut short.

His family, including his brother Humberto, flew in from Mexico on Saturday to mourn his death and say their goodbyes.

"He [was supposed to come] in September to Mexico for my daughter's birthday and now he's gone. Now he's gone," Humberto said through tears.

"He was a good person, [kind], with a big smile always. And he came here to live his dream," he added.

The Soleto family is shown in this photo submitted by Humberto.

Heartbroken, confused and frustrated, Humberto said he and his family are still processing the shocking news.

"We are very sad. We are broken in pieces because Ben was a very important piece in our family. He stuck us together," he told CTV News.

Ben's family say they knew something was wrong on Thursday when they didn't hear from him for hours following the incident, when a rooftop parking lot of a building on Lougheed Highway collapsed onto the offices below.

Emergency crews rescued eight people with two sent to hospital on the afternoon of the collapse, but Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services said one person remained unaccounted for.

"Since that moment, we have been in a very [dark] situation [with] our family," said Humberto.

VFRS later released a statement confirming a body had been found.

"The male employee who was reported missing was recovered shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday evening, but unfortunately was declared deceased by paramedics on scene," it said.

"On behalf of our entire department and city, our thoughts are now with the employee’s family, friends and coworkers as they deal with this tragic loss."

Search and rescue crews work at the site of a collapse at a parkade in Vancouver, B.C., Friday, July 15, 2022. The body of a male employee was pulled from the wreckage on Friday night after Vancouver Fire and Rescue searched through the rubble for 28 hours for the man. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Brieanna Charlebois

The rescue operation was a long, painstaking process as rescuers had to slowly manoeuvre and sift through tonnes of concrete, steel and other debris to recover the body.

Ben's family said they're determined to find out how this incident happened.

In an email statement to CTV News, WorkSafeBC said it's investigating the incident.

"The purpose of our investigation is to determine the cause of the incident, and any contributing factors, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future," the statement reads

"At this early stage of the investigation, we aren’t able to provide any conclusions about the cause."

For the grieving family, this isn't good enough. They want answers immediately so a tragedy like this doesn't happen again.