Venezuela Earthquake Survivor Hernán Gil Freed After Eight Days Under Rubble
In the aftermath of the Venezuela earthquake, a man named Hernán Gil has been rescued alive after spending eight days trapped under 140 tonnes of rubble following twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June. [1] Emergency workers from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States freed Gil more than 100 hours after first locating him. [1]
Miracle Rescue After Eight Days
Rescuers spent more than 100 hours inching closer to Gil before they were finally able to rescue him. [1] A Chilean firefighter had earlier described the rescue operation as the most complex and technically difficult which he had to tackle. [1] As of Thursday evening, 2,595 people are confirmed to have died in the quakes which hit Venezuela on 24 June, and tens of thousands are still missing. [1] Allan Madrigal, a paramedic with the Costa Rican Red Cross, told journalists at the site that Gil had emerged just perfect from the ordeal. [1] Madrigal is the rescuer who heard Gil's faint cries for help emerging from the rubble on Sunday. [1] Gil was conscious, oriented and in good condition upon rescue, with no crushed nails or major injuries. [1] Rescuers provided him water and an intravenous drip while maintaining conversation to keep up his spirits. [1] The rescue in Catia La Mar near La Guaira, the hardest-hit state, was described as the most complex operation by a Chilean firefighter. [1] Parts of access tunnels collapsed during the effort. [1]
How the Security Booth Saved Him
Gil had been on duty in a small concrete booth in the basement of the parking lot adjacent to the Galerias Playa Grande mall in Catia La Mar when the twin quakes struck. [1] It appears that the booth created a shell around him, protecting him from the 140 tonnes of rubble which collapsed around and on top of him. [1] The 43-year-old Gil Flores overlived under a shopping centre with the help of a guard booth that formed an air pocket. [4] He lay trapped in the basement under collapsed concrete masses. [4] The booth created an air pocket that allowed him to stay alive while rescue crews worked their way toward him. [4] Rescue workers from several countries participated. [4] Crews from Costa Rica, Chile and El Salvador took part in the demanding operation. [4] Parts of the access ducts rescuers built to reach him collapsed several times. [1]
Scale of Devastation in Venezuela Earthquake
As of Thursday evening, official figures report 2,595 people confirmed dead, with over 12,400 injured and tens of thousands still missing after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes and more than 800 aftershocks. [2] The two earthquakes, with strength of 7.2 and 7.5, have cost near 2200 lives. [4] Over 11,000 are injured, and around 40,000 people reported missing. [4] At least seven states impacted. [2] La Guaira remains the most affected state. [2] Rescue operations continue in the area. [4] The sound of drilling fills the area around collapsed buildings, crushed concrete and dust. [4]
Emotional Moments During the Operation
It was an emotional moment when Madrigal first heard the cries. [1] At first he had not trusted his own ears and asked a colleague to confirm that he was not just imagining it. [1] Overnight, the search teams were finally able to establish visual contact with the survivor. [1] In footage recorded by a small camera inserted into the rubble where Gil was trapped, a Chilean firefighter could be heard asking him to turn his head towards the camera. [1] One of his eyes was bloodshot and he was wearing a face mask, which rescuers had earlier passed to him through a small hole to protect him from the dust and debris created by their efforts to free him. [1] The firefighter also asked him to don goggles to protect his eyes as rescuers continued to carefully dig away at the rubble surrounding him. [1] Marco Antonio Franco from the Mexican Red Cross described Gil as a cheerful man. [1] He himself drives us on, telling us to carry on. [1] He recognises our team members, saying how nice that you came back and that you're with me again. [1] According to Franco, the rescuers and Gil kept up a steady chatter about his family and about the challenging rescue. [1] Madrigal, the paramedic who located Gil, was on his first international rescue mission and said the work he had carried out in Venezuela had changed him. [1] The lad who came here a week ago is not the same one that will return to Costa Rica, believe me. [1]
Family Reaction and Medical Update
Gil's wife expressed relief and described him as a warrior. [4] His wife, Gusbimar González, describes him as a warrior. [4] The first days were filled with sorrow, pain and desperation. [4] She did not know if he was alive or dead, if he was injured, or if he had been taken somewhere else. [4] When she learned that he was alive, she finally got hope that he would survive. [4] She feels peace and gratitude amid the disaster that has struck Venezuela. [4] He is now receiving treatment at Hospital de Clínicas Caracas. [4] The doctor who treated Hernán Alberto Gil in the ambulance after the rescue describes the survival as a miracle. [4] He was conscious, oriented and cooperative, and his vital signs were within normal range. [4] The doctor says he is optimistic, but that more tests still need to be taken. [4] Gil is now in good shape. [4]
International Aid at the Site
Rescue crews from Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States worked to free him. [1] Portuguese rescue workers were in the parking basement where Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was trapped in the ruins. [4] According to Chile's fire service the actual rescue operation took around 70 hours. [4] A special team from Costa Rica's Red Cross first discovered signs of life and made contact with Gil Flores on Sunday. [4] When we found him, he asked us not to tell his wife that he was alive, in case he should not make it. [4] Rescue workers managed to lead fluid down to him through a hose, but it took almost three days before he got his first sip of water. [4] As the days passed, we got closer to him and could give him water. [4] Yesterday evening, around 10 pm local time, we made physical contact with Hernán. [4] Gil was carried into a waiting ambulance. [4] On Thursday morning Gil Flores was carried out on a stretcher to cheers from rescue crews and journalists on site. [4] He was then transported further by ambulance. [4]
What to watch next: Other families continue to cling to hope in the ruins, including relatives searching for eight-year-old Lucas, while rescue crews note that chances diminish with each passing hour.
