Man Rescued After Surviving 8 Days Under Earthquake Rubble

A man in his 40s was dramatically rescued on July 2 (local time), eight days after a series of powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela.

The man, who had been trapped under building debris, was brought to safety following a 70-hour operation by an international rescue team.

According to foreign media outlets including the AP, AFP, and CNN, Hernan Alberto Gil Flores, 43, a night security guard at a shopping center in Catia La Mar, La Guaira State, had been trapped about 9 meters under the rubble of the building, which collapsed during the earthquake on June 24.

Rescue teams detected his signal using acoustic sensors and radar on June 28, confirming that he was alive.

A rescue worker from the Costa Rican Red Cross recalled the moment to the AP, saying, "At the time of discovery, he asked us not to tell his wife that he was alive, just in case. But we never had any intention of leaving him behind."

Following this, a joint rescue team led by Chilean rescuers and composed of personnel from Venezuela, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico launched a massive 70-hour rescue operation.

The situation was perilous, with unstable building structures, heavy rain, and continuous aftershocks causing excavation tunnels to collapse multiple times.

Considering the risk of additional collapses of adjacent buildings, the rescue team carefully cut through metal structures to secure a path.

Throughout the operation, the team inserted search cameras through gaps in the concrete to monitor his condition.

They also used hoses and syringes to provide water, electrolyte drinks, and medical fluids to prevent him from becoming dehydrated.

A veteran rescue worker from Chile kept talking to him throughout the operation to help him stay calm.

In a video released just before the rescue, Gil Flores was seen passing the time by drawing pictures amidst the debris.

An official from the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team at the site told CNN that surviving seven days after an earthquake is "nothing short of a miraculous rescue."

The golden time for rescuing survivors after a disaster is generally considered to be 72 hours (3 days).

The AP reported that Gil Flores survived because the security booth he was in maintained its shape while surrounding concrete structures collapsed during the earthquake, creating an air pocket inside that prevented him from being crushed.

As he was carried on a stretcher to an ambulance while wearing an oxygen mask, rescue workers from various countries cheered and hugged each other to celebrate the successful rescue.

One rescue worker at the scene told AFP, "I have never seen such a difficult operation," adding, "I am not even sure if there has ever been a rescue operation that lasted this long."

Immediately after being rescued, Gil Flores was transported to a hospital and is currently in stable condition.

In an interview with CNN, his wife said she had spent days in sorrow thinking something might have happened to her husband, but felt a ray of hope upon hearing the news of his survival, adding, "He truly endured like a hero."

The couple has two children, aged 10 and 8.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.