Family holds vigil for Hard Rock collapse victim

Garenita+Bailey%2C+victims+cousin%2C+and+Rev.+Raymond+Brown+speak+at+Wimberlys+vigil+on+Saturday%2C+Oct.+7%2C+2019+in+front+of+Hard+Rock+collapse+site.+Photo+credit%3A+Andres+Fuentes

Garenita Bailey, victim’s cousin, and Rev. Raymond Brown speak at Wimberly’s vigil on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2019 in front of Hard Rock collapse site. Photo credit: Andres Fuentes

Lily Cummings

The family of one of the Hard Rock Hotel collapse victims gathered today to mourn and ask for answers.

Quinnyon Wimberly was a beloved family member, dad and fiance. His body still remains in the Hard Rock Hotel.

The family began to wait and pray the morning of Oct. 12, 2019 when they received a call about the building collapse according to Wimberly’s cousin, Garenita Bailey.

“We waited and we prayed, and we waited and we prayed,” Bailey said, “And we sung and we prayed and we waited and we cried.”

The family has been mourning now for almost two months and says they want answers.

“We wake up with it. We go to sleep with it. When we come to work downtown, we see it,” Bailey said, “We have to live it every single day, and it’s not fair.”

Wimberly is one of two men still trapped inside the building. The City of New Orleans now says the building will be taken apart piece by piece, and the bodies recovered.

Rev. Raymond Brown says the family wants closure and to bury the remains.

“Get around the table and make a decision on what date and time they’re going to remove the remains,” Brown said, “We are not rushing them to tear down the building.”

The cranes on the building were imploded more than a month ago to make the building safer, but the city has not released a date on when the family can expect to see the remains recovered.