Venezuela: Man Rescued After 8 Days Beneath the Rubble
Hernan Alberto Gil Flores was pulled from the basement of a collapsed building on Thursday morning by a multinational team of rescuers.
HAVANA TIMES — Hernan Alberto Gil Flores, a 43-year-old security guard, was rescued alive this Thursday from the Galerias Playa Grande shopping center, where he had been trapped since June 24 following the earthquakes that struck Venezuela, according to information from the Chilean Fire Department.
At approximately 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, the worker was pulled from the basement. Around 9:00 a.m., rescuers brought him fully out into the open after paramedics had stabilized him.
Rescue teams from several countries freed him after more than 170 hours beneath tons of concrete in his security booth on the third basement level. Rescuers located him, established communication, provided him with water, and stabilized his condition in an operation that lasted 114 continuous hours.
Gil was at his post when the twin earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, caused the building to collapse. He survived in a confined space by taking shelter beneath a desk and, during the past several days, received water and medication through tubes.
Rescue personnel from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Portugal, Chile, and other countries took part in the complex operation, which required extreme caution to prevent further collapses.
Gil’s case became a symbol of hope amid the tragedy. His rescue stands as one of the longest and most delicate operations carried out since the earthquakes.
First published in Spanish by Efecto Cocuyo and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.