Rescuers in Venezuela pulled a 44-year-old man alive from the rubble of a collapsed basement eight days after two powerful earthquakes struck the country, marking a rare moment of hope amid a mounting death toll and widespread devastation. Hernán Gil, a security guard trapped beneath a building in La Guaira State—one of the hardest-hit areas—was found alive Thursday after an intensive rescue operation.
The Venezuelan government reported the death toll at 2,595 as of Thursday, with expectations that the number may continue to rise. The disaster has intensified criticism of the nation’s emergency response, which has been hampered by years of economic instability and weakened institutional capacity.
Rescuers first made contact with Mr. Gil on Monday, more than 70 hours after the earthquakes, using advanced detection equipment including radar, sonar, and acoustic devices. Visual confirmation followed 12 hours later via a search camera, revealing Mr. Gil trapped beneath the second basement level of a building housing shops and apartments. As rescuers tunneled toward him, they communicated with him and monitored his condition, providing hydration through a tube.
The rescue was led by a Chilean search-and-rescue team, supported by specialists from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, as well as teams from Virginia and Florida. Additional aid was offered by rescue personnel from Mexico, El Salvador, and Portugal. The operation was complicated by the unstable debris; rescuers proceeded with extreme caution to avoid triggering further collapses that could have endangered both Mr. Gil and the rescue teams.
“We got to the point where it was moving just one rock at a time,” said Trey Espy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. “One wrong move could have brought the entire structure down.”
Mr. Gil had been working as a security guard at the site, a little over two miles from Venezuela’s main international airport, when the basement collapsed around him. A co-worker attributed his survival to nearby water tanks that created a protective space amid the pancaked debris.
Mr. Gil’s wife, Gusbimar González, described his rescue as a “miracle” and recalled being told earlier that there was little hope of finding him alive. His brother Gunther Gil, who lives in Chile, expressed relief and emotion after learning of the rescue.
Before being freed, Mr. Gil reportedly asked rescuers not to inform his wife that he was still alive, fearing he might not survive. He was transported to a hospital in stable condition and received immediate medical attention upon extraction.
The successful rescue brought a brief respite to Venezuelans after days of despair and underscored the challenges facing emergency responders in the disaster’s aftermath. The effort drew international attention, including from the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, who followed the operation closely. As recovery efforts continue, officials warn that the death toll and damage may increase.