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Rescue workers have pulled a man alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela, eight days after twin earthquakes devastated the country, in what emergency responders described as one of the most complex rescue operations they had ever undertaken.
Hernán Gil, a security guard, was rescued after spending more than 100 hours under observation by emergency teams who had first detected signs of life beneath approximately 140 tonnes of debris.
Gil had been on duty in a small concrete security booth in the basement parking area next to the Galerias Playa Grande shopping mall in Catia La Mar when the powerful earthquakes struck on June 24. Rescuers believe the booth formed a protective shell around him, shielding him from the collapsing rubble.
Costa Rican Red Cross paramedic Allan Madrigal, who first heard Gil’s faint cries for help on Sunday, said the rescue was an emotional experience. “At first I thought I was imagining it,” Madrigal told reporters. “I asked a colleague to confirm what I had heard.”
Once Gil was located, rescue teams from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States worked around the clock to free him.
The operation faced repeated setbacks as access tunnels dug through the debris collapsed several times, creating additional risks for both rescuers and the trapped survivor.
During the rescue, Gil was supplied with water, fitted with an intravenous drip and provided with a face mask and protective goggles to shield him from dust as crews carefully removed the debris around him.
A camera lowered through a narrow opening later established visual contact with Gil, who appeared conscious and responsive despite his ordeal. Mexican Red Cross rescuer Marco Antonio Franco described Gil as remarkably optimistic throughout the operation.
“He was cheerful and kept encouraging us to continue,” Franco said, adding that Gil even requested hydration drinks in his preferred flavours and frequently spoke about his family with rescuers.
Shortly before the rescue was completed, another Costa Rican Red Cross official said Gil had escaped the disaster without any serious crush injuries. “He doesn’t even have a crushed nail,” the rescuer said.
After being pulled from the rubble, Madrigal said Gil appeared to be in surprisingly good condition. “He emerged just perfect,” he said.
The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 have killed nearly 2,300 people, while tens of thousands remain missing as search and recovery operations continue across the affected regions. Source: BBC News