CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela — In a dramatic rescue hailed as a miracle, emergency responders pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from the collapsed basement of a shopping center early Thursday, eight days after twin earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela and claimed thousands of lives.
Hernán Alberto Gil Flores had been trapped beneath the rubble of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal state of La Guaira since the powerful earthquakes struck on June 24. The night-shift security guard was inside his small security cabin when the building collapsed. Remarkably, the cabin remained largely intact, shielding him from the crushing debris and creating a life-saving air pocket.
READ MORE : Venezuela Earthquake: Child rescued alive in La Guaira as rescue teams receive widespread praise
Rescuers first established contact with Gil Flores over the weekend after detecting signs of life beneath the wreckage. Over the following days, teams worked around the clock for more than 100 hours, navigating unstable concrete, torrential rain, and repeated aftershocks to carefully reach the survivor. Through a narrow opening, rescuers supplied him with water, liquid nutrients, and food, allowing him to survive well beyond the critical 48- to 72-hour window during which most earthquake survivors are typically found.
The operation involved highly trained urban search-and-rescue teams from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, and El Salvador. Using specialized equipment, including telescopic cameras, rescue workers maintained constant communication with Gil Flores, reassuring him throughout the painstaking excavation.
As he was finally brought to the surface on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask, emotional scenes unfolded outside the disaster site. Rescue workers and volunteers erupted into applause, while emergency personnel from several countries embraced in celebration after completing one of the most remarkable rescues since the disaster.
Costa Rican Red Cross rescuer Minyar Collado said the team remained determined to save the trapped guard despite the enormous risks posed by the unstable structure. According to Collado, Gil Flores had asked rescuers not to tell his wife he was alive until they were certain he would survive, fearing he might not make it out. The rescuers, however, never gave up hope.
His wife, Gusbimar González, said she endured days of uncertainty before learning that rescue teams had established contact with her husband. The couple, who have two young children, described the news as bringing “a ray of light in the darkness.”
The rescue has become a symbol of hope amid one of Venezuela’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history. Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez praised both domestic and international rescue teams, thanking them for their cooperation and dedication in saving lives.
The twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck northern Venezuela on June 24, causing widespread devastation across the region. More than 2,200 people were killed, over 11,000 were injured, and tens of thousands of homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. La Guaira remains among the hardest-hit areas as rescue, relief, and recovery efforts continue.
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