Miraculous rescue in Venezuela: Security guard trapped under debris for 8 days, rescued alive

Caracas. Eight days after two devastating earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela on June 24, a miracle was witnessed which awakened a new ray of hope in the entire country. Rescuers pulled 43-year-old security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores alive from the basement of a collapsed building. He was trapped under the debris for the last eight days. After a continuous and difficult rescue operation, they were rescued safely in the early hours of Thursday.

When Hernan was brought out of the debris on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask, people present there and rescue workers from different countries welcomed him with applause. Many rescue workers emotionally hugged each other and described this successful operation as no less than a miracle.

Safety cabin becomes life saver

Hernan worked as a night shift security guard at the Galerias Playa Grande shopping center in the seaside town of La Guaira. He was present in his safety cabin at the time of the earthquake. The entire building collapsed due to the strong tremors, but their small cabin was not completely destroyed. That’s why there was enough space left for air and he could survive for so many days.

Water and food delivered through narrow path

Rescue workers first established contact with Hernan over the weekend. After this, water and liquid food were continuously supplied to them through a very narrow path made in the debris. Despite the danger of landslides, incessant rain and frequent aftershocks, the rescue teams dug a tunnel with utmost care and pulled them out safely.

Minyar Collado, a rescue worker with the Costa Rican Red Cross, said that when she first spoke to Hernán, he asked that his wife not be told that he was alive, because she feared he might not survive. Despite this, the rescue workers did not lose hope and ultimately succeeded in evacuating them safely.

Wife said- found light of hope in darkness

Hernan’s wife Gusbimar Gonzalez said that for several days she felt that her husband was no longer in this world. But as soon as the news came that relief workers had contacted them, hope returned to the entire family. The couple have two young children, aged 8 and 10.

Teams from many countries jointly launched the campaign

Apart from Venezuela, expert rescue workers from Chile, Costa Rica, USA, Portugal, Mexico and El Salvador took part in this complex rescue operation. With the help of telescope cameras and modern technology, Hernan’s condition was continuously monitored and then a strategy was made to get him out safely.

Huge devastation caused by earthquake, thousands of people still affected

Although Hernán’s survival is a news of relief, the situation throughout Venezuela still remains extremely serious. Two powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that occurred on June 24 caused widespread devastation in northern Venezuela. The greatest damage occurred in the La Guaira region, where thousands of buildings collapsed.

According to government figures, 2,295 people have died so far, while more than 11 thousand people have been injured. A large number of people are still missing and thousands of families are forced to live in relief camps or under the open sky. Due to continuous recovery of dead bodies from the debris, the risk of health crisis has increased in many areas.

Questions raised on the government regarding relief work

The government of Acting President Delsey Rodriguez is also being criticized for the relief and rescue work after the earthquake. Locals allege that international relief teams worked more effectively than government agencies.

America has said that the relief operation is being run in coordination with the local administration. According to US officials, about 900 US military personnel have also been deployed to assist in rescue and relief operations.

Experts believe that after such a huge natural disaster, relief, rehabilitation, restoration of health services and returning the affected people to normal life still remains the biggest challenge before Venezuela.