Carwin had just reunited with his mother after three years, celebrating at a concert by merengue star Rubby Pérez when chaos erupted. At around 1:00 AM, a small rock fell from the ceiling, but no one anticipated the impending disaster. "In a split second, everything changed," Carwin recalls, remembering the screams and the terrifying sound of the ceiling crashing down. Thankfully, he and his mother were only grazed but were left traumatized.

In a frantic effort to escape, Carwin found an exit but felt compelled to return to the wreckage when he realized his friend, Jessica, was missing. Shouting her name only met with silence, and he felt desperate and powerless amidst the devastation. "The stones were huge. I felt useless," he stated, expressing his agony over not being able to reach her.

Witnessing the panic and urgency as rescuers arrived, Carwin describes the scene as "total chaos." In the hours following the collapse, he helped search for survivors and grappled with the overwhelming feeling of helplessness and grief after learning of Jessica's death and those of many others, with the toll rising to at least 221. The tragedy has left a community shattered and mourning. Carwin's poignant account highlights the profound impact of that night, where celebration turned to sorrow in an instant.