On Thursday morning (2), one of the most complex and moving rescues following the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that recently hit Venezuela was successfully completed. Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, aged 47, who had worked as a security guard for one year and eight months at the Galerías Playa Grande shopping mall, in the Urimare sector, state of La Guaira, was removed from the rubble of the building after being buried for more than 190 hours, the equivalent of around eight days.
Gil’s ordeal began on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 24, when strong earthquakes shook the Venezuelan coast. The force of the two tremors completely displaced the security guard where the guard worked, trapping and burying it under around 174 tons of rubble and twisted metal structures.
The first real sign of survival came unexpectedly on June 27, thanks to the presence of Allan Madrigal, a member of the Costa Rican Red Cross, who was on his first international mission after an earthquake. Just one day earlier, on June 26, Madrigal had turned 33 and received the news that he would travel to Venezuela.
Isolated from the outside world in an extremely confined space, the watchman’s own voice, detected amidst the destruction, became the discovery that began the rescue efforts, boosting and directing the experts’ efforts in what would be one of the most difficult operations of the current emergency.
The Costa Rican specialist was not looking for the security guard when he found him. The rescuer went to the shopping center because a local resident told him to go there with the intention of meeting another person. It was during this search that he found Hernán among the rubble. After asking the crucial question: “Are there any survivors here who can make a sound?”, the answer that emerged from the ruins was a silent “yes”, as Allan himself explained to a national media outlet.
After this discovery, a joint operation between technical and human teams was launched, combining the efforts of Venezuelan rescuers with those from Chile, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, El Salvador, Spain, Costa Rica and Venezuela. The operation was led by the Chilean team and coordinated 114 hours of uninterrupted work in hostile terrain.
To keep Hernán’s vital signs stable throughout his ordeal, rescuers were able to provide him with hydration and fluids through a tube precisely inserted into the cracks in the structure. However, the final rescue presented enormous challenges. An attempt using a bank safe failed due to it collapsing when rescuers were just meters from Mr. Gil. To prevent a total collapse, the surrounding area was meticulously reinforced with wood and iron.
Venezuela continues rescue efforts after major earthquakes.
Unable to continue along the designated route, the teams were forced to open an alternative route and drill a tunnel directly to the guardhouse. Initially, the hole proved too narrow to rescue the worker, forcing crews to dedicate additional hours to meticulously widening the excavation. Finally, after intense hours of work and several maneuvers, Hernán Gil was safely rescued.
“Today we celebrate Hernán’s life. We celebrate the greatness of humanity when it comes together for a single purpose: to save another person”, wrote the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, on her social networks, thanking the Venezuelan rescuers “who, together with the invaluable support of international rescuers, dedicated their bodies, their time and their souls to this mission”
After being pulled from the wreckage, the survivor received immediate medical attention from teams at the disaster site to stabilize his bodily functions. He was then placed in a Venezuelan Red Cross ambulance for immediate transfer to a regional hospital.
To date, authorities have not released an official statement on Hernán Gil’s health status nor have they detailed the injuries he suffered during the collapse. What was confirmed is that the survivor was removed from the rubble alive, immediately assessed by paramedics on site to stabilize his vital signs and transported by a Venezuelan Red Cross ambulance to a hospital.
In addition to the technical feat and complexity of the operation, Hernán Gil’s rescue became a symbol of resilience and humanity in the midst of the catastrophe. In a scenario dominated by destruction, their response from the depths of the earth and the union of so many nations working side by side exemplify the courage and dedication necessary to save a life.
His return to the surface represents not only a reunion with his loved ones and a victory for the rescue teams, but also a reinforcement of hope for a nation that, in the face of adversity, still maintains the faith and expectation of finding more lives among the rubble.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
