President Joe Biden and the first lady arrived Thursday in South Florida to thank first responders and search and rescue teams, as well as to meet with families of the victims of the partially collapsed condominium building.

“Never give up hope,” said Biden, who finished his day by visiting the “Wall of Hope and Memorial” located near the condo's site.

The building collapsed a week ago and there are still rescue teams frantically searching for survivors of the tragic incident. Eighteen people have been reported dead and there are over 140 missings.

“I wish there was something I can do to ease the pain," Biden said.

Biden praised the efforts of groups that came together during a tragedy. He met with first responders working around the clock in the rescue efforts as the search has entered its seventh day.

“We live in a nation where we can cooperate,” he said. “It’s really important.”

Biden has dealt with personal tragedies of his own as he had lost his first wife and infant daughter in a car crash after he was elected to the Senate. Biden also lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015.

He spent more than three hours privately speaking with those mourning over their loved ones and moving from family to family listening to their stories.

“The people who you lost, they’re gonna be with you your whole life as a part of your soul and a part of who you are,” he said.

Biden later told reporters he was surprised by the family’s resilience and willingness to do whatever it took to found an answer. He recalled the accident that killed his first wife and daughter.

“It’s bad enough to lose someone, but the hard part is not knowing if they’ll survive or not," he said.