VENEZUELA:  In a remarkable feat of international cooperation, emergency workers in Venezuela successfully rescued a security guard who spent eight days trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed building following the devastating June 24 twin earthquakes.

The Rescue Operation

Hernán Gil was freed by rescue crews more than 100 hours after teams initially established his location beneath an estimated 140 tonnes of rubble. The operation, described by responding personnel as one of the most technically complex rescue efforts ever attempted, required meticulous navigation through highly unstable debris. Throughout the multi-day extraction process, structural shifts caused access ducts to cave in multiple times, endangering both the victim and the rescue teams.

International specialists from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal, and the United States collaborated around the clock to secure Gil’s release.

Survival and Medical Condition

Gil was on duty inside a small concrete booth in a subterranean parking structure adjacent to the Galerias Playa Grande mall when the seismic events occurred. The reinforced structure of the booth functioned as a protective shield, preventing him from being crushed by the immense weight of the collapsing building.

Remarkably, early medical assessments indicate that Gil escaped the ordeal without any major physical trauma or crush injuries. Prior to his extraction, rescuers managed to deliver water, establish an intravenous drip, and pass him protective gear—including a face mask and goggles—to shield him from ambient dust and debris.

Responders reported that Gil remained in remarkably high spirits throughout the ordeal, frequently conversing with the rescue crews about his family and providing moral support to the teams working to free him. Video footage captured via a specialized search camera prior to the extraction showed Gil alert, responsive, and cooperative.

The Broader Disaster

While Gil’s survival provides a rare moment of hope, the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela remains severe. The twin earthquakes have claimed at least 2,300 lives, and tens of thousands of individuals remain unaccounted for as search and recovery efforts continue across the affected regions.