Miraculous Rescue: Security Guard Survives Days Under Rubble After Venezuelan Earthquakes
A Hopeful Rescue Amidst Tragedy
On Thursday morning, rescuers successfully extracted a 43-year-old security guard from a collapsed basement, concluding a challenging rescue operation that lasted several days. This event became a beacon of hope following the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days prior. Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was found alive, covered in dust, and placed on a stretcher, surrounded by rescue workers wearing helmets, after being trapped since June 24 beneath the debris of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in La Guaira.
The rescue team, which had established contact with Gil Flores over the weekend, worked tirelessly for over 100 hours. They faced numerous challenges, including an unstable structure, heavy rainfall, and ongoing aftershocks, as they dug down to reach him. As Gil Flores was carried out, teams from various countries cheered, celebrating his survival. He was seen wearing an oxygen mask and wrapped in an orange tarp as he was transported to an ambulance for medical evaluation.
One rescuer from Chile, who helped carry him, expressed his joy by pumping his fist in the air, while members of the Costa Rican Red Cross shared hugs and laughter in relief. Costa Rican rescuer Minyar Collado recounted that when they found him, Gil Flores requested they not inform his wife of his survival, fearing he might not make it. However, Collado assured, 'We were never going to leave him here.'
This rescue was viewed as a miraculous event amidst a week filled with sorrow. By providing Gil Flores with food and water during the excavation, the rescue teams managed to keep him alive well beyond the typical 48- to 72-hour window for finding survivors in such disasters. At the time of the earthquake, Gil Flores was inside his small security cabin, which remained intact while the surrounding structure collapsed, creating a crucial air pocket that saved his life.
A specialized team from the Costa Rican Red Cross was the first to detect signs of life and establish communication with him on Sunday. His wife, Gusbimar González, shared her emotional journey, expressing her despair until she learned that he was alive. 'When I found out he was alive, I saw a ray of light in the darkness,' she said. The couple has two children, aged 8 and 10.
The operation was led by an urban search and rescue team of Chilean firefighters, who collaborated with specialized teams from various countries, including the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Venezuela. Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez praised the rescue on social media, highlighting the unity of humanity in times of crisis. 'We celebrate the greatness of humanity when united for a single purpose: to save another,' she wrote.
Rescue teams utilized a telescopic camera to maintain communication with Gil Flores, passing water and nutrients through a narrow shaft to keep him hydrated during the final days of the operation. María Paz Campos, a seasoned firefighter from Chile, provided reassurance and guidance throughout the ordeal. In a video released by Chilean firefighters, Gil Flores was seen drawing to pass the time, while Campos reminded him to wear protective goggles to shield his eyes from falling debris.
The building's collapse was caused by two powerful earthquakes on June 24, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. These shallow tremors resulted in extensive damage across northern Venezuela, claiming over 2,200 lives, injuring more than 11,000 individuals, and making La Guaira state the most severely affected area in the country.