CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) – Rescuers successfully pulled 43-year-old security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores alive from a collapsed basement during a dramatic operation that concluded early Thursday. This event marked a significant moment of hope following the devastation caused by twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela just eight days prior.
Hernán Alberto Gil Flores emerged covered in dust, placed atop a stretcher, and surrounded by helmet-clad rescue workers after being trapped since June 24 under rubble in the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal town of La Guaira. Rescuers made their first contact with him over the weekend and dedicated over 100 hours to the operation, contending with an unstable structure, torrential rain, and persistent aftershocks as they navigated the debris to reach him.
As Gil Flores was brought to safety, teams from various countries cheered, waving flags and celebrating the remarkable outcome of the rescue. He was carried wearing an oxygen mask, wrapped in an orange tarp while rescue personnel carefully monitored his vital signs as they transported him to an ambulance. A Chilean rescuer joyfully pumped his fist, while a group of Costa Rican Red Cross volunteers embraced, laughing in relief, and others applauded the successful outcome.
During the rescue, Costa Rican Red Cross rescuer Minyar Collado shared that when they found Gil Flores, he requested that they not inform his wife of his survival, fearing the worst. Nevertheless, she assured, “We were never going to leave him here.” The operation was hailed as a small miracle amid a week of tragedy. Rescuers were able to keep Gil Flores alive longer than the typical 48- to 72-hour timeframe for finding survivors in disaster situations by providing him with food and water throughout the extraction process.
Gil Flores, who worked a night shift at the complex, had been inside his small security cabin when the earthquakes struck. While the surrounding concrete structure collapsed, he was shielded by his cabin, which created a vital air pocket that likely saved his life. A specialized team from the Costa Rican Red Cross was the first to detect signs of life and establish communication with him on Sunday.
Gil Flores' wife, Gusbimar González, recounted her despair during the days when he was missing, but the news of his survival brought her hope, saying, “When I learned he was alive, I saw a ray of light in the darkness.” The couple has two children, aged 8 and 10.
The rescue operation was expertly coordinated by an urban search and rescue team of Chilean firefighters, collaborating tirelessly with specialized teams from the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Venezuela. Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez took to social media to celebrate the successful rescue, expressing gratitude towards the rescuers and emphasizing the unity displayed by humanity during this crisis, despite ongoing criticism of her government’s handling of the disaster response.
Throughout the final days of the rescue, teams utilized a telescopic camera to maintain constant contact with Gil Flores, passing water and liquid nutrients through a narrow shaft to keep him hydrated. Chilean firefighter María Paz Campos communicated with him throughout the operation, ensuring he remained calm during the final hours. In a video released by the Chilean firefighters, Gil Flores was seen drawing on the ground as a means of distraction, while Campos reminded him to wear protective goggles to shield his eyes from falling debris.
The earthquakes that caused such devastation were recorded as having magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 and resulted in damage to tens of thousands of buildings across northern Venezuela. The disaster claimed the lives of more than 2,200 people, injured over 11,000, and left La Guaira state as the hardest-hit area in the country.
