As a series of powerful earthquakes caused heavy casualties in Venezuela, a man in his 40s who had been trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building for eight days was dramatically rescued.
According to major foreign media including The New York Times and the BBC on Sunday, Hernan Gil, 44, a security guard, was pulled from the rubble of a building in Venezuela's La Guaira state, the area hardest hit by the earthquake, after being trapped for eight days.
According to the BBC, Gil was working as a security guard in the underground parking garage next to the Galerias Playa Grande shopping mall in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, about 3 kilometers from Caracas International Airport in Venezuela's capital, when the building collapsed in the earthquake and buried him.
Rescue teams from seven countries were deployed to save Gil. The operation was led by a Chilean rescue team, which first confirmed Gil's presence on Friday using laser and acoustic detection equipment, then pinpointed his exact location with search cameras.
At the time, Gil was trapped on the second basement level of the building and was reportedly able to communicate with rescuers. Gil had been working in a small concrete booth, which is presumed to have acted as a protective shield and shielded him. At the request of the Chilean rescue team, a U.S. rescue team also joined the operation. Rescue teams from Mexico, El Salvador, Portugal and Costa Rica also provided support.
The rescue was not easy. Because of the risk of the building collapsing, rescuers had to repeatedly clear debris and reinforce the structure, using shovels, pickaxes and even their bare hands to remove rubble over several days. They also worked to keep him alive by supplying water through a tube. After painstaking efforts, the rescue team succeeded in freeing Gil at around 9 a.m. Sunday. The Chilean rescue team gave Gil protective goggles to shield his eyes from falling dust and debris. The weight of the rubble at the time was reported to be 140 tons.
Trey Espey, a rescue team leader with the Los Angeles County Fire Department in the U.S., described the harrowing situation: "One wrong move of a single rock could have brought all the debris down on the victim, and if an aftershock occurred, there was a risk the entire building could collapse. In the end, we had no choice but to work by moving the rocks one by one."
It was a dangerous rescue that even Gil himself was not certain he would survive. Fearing he might not make it out alive, he reportedly asked rescuers not to tell his wife that he was still alive. Gil's wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, cheered to EFE, calling it "a miracle," and said, "We were told there was no chance of survival, but he came back alive." Gil is receiving treatment in stable condition at a hospital.
Amid a major disaster that killed thousands, Gil's rescue drew national attention. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele also shared news of the rescue through X, formerly Twitter.
Separately, however, the scale of the damage continues to grow. According to the Venezuelan government, the death toll stood at 2,295 as of Sunday and is expected to rise further. The number of injured exceeded 11,000. Some citizens have criticized the Venezuelan government's response to the disaster as inadequate, following a prolonged economic crisis.
Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's acting president, celebrated Gil's rescue, saying, "We honor the greatness of humanity when humanity unites as one to save one another," and adding, "We are grateful for the dedication of rescuers at home and abroad."
