Miracle Rescue: Man Pulled Alive From Rubble 8 Days After Venezuela Quakes

Last Updated:July 03, 2026, 04:01 IST

Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was rescued alive from collapsed Galerias Playa Grande mall in La Guaira, Venezuela, 8 days after twin earthquakes.

Rescue teams pulled a man alive from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela on Thursday, eight days after twin earthquakes struck the country.

Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, a security guard in his 40s, had been trapped under nearly 29 feet of debris after the parking structure of the Galerias Playa Grande shopping mall collapsed in La Guaira.

According to Chile’s Fire Department, the operation to free Gil lasted about 70 hours. He was later taken to a medical facility and was reported to be in good condition.

“Fortunately, once we received Mr. Hernan in the ambulance, he was stable," Venezuelan Red Cross paramedic Luis Rodríguez told Reuters.

Also Read: ‘As Long As He Was Alive’: Venezuela Mum On Surviving 32 Hours Under Rubble With 18-Day-Old Son

“During the whole ride he was conscious, focused and collaborating, and all of his vital signs were within normal," he added.

Gil’s wife, Gusvimar Gonzales, said she had feared the worst in the days following the earthquakes.

Gonzales said that she had faced “days of great sorrow" as she believed he might have died. “But once I found out that he was alive I saw a ray of sunshine. He was holding up like a hero," she said, while speaking to CNN.

She added that their children were waiting for him at home.

Rescuers first established visual contact with Gil on Wednesday using a search camera inserted into the collapsed basement. Video released by the Chile Fire Department showed him waving his fingers through a narrow gap in the concrete.

Emergency teams said they remained in contact with Gil throughout the operation, supplying him with water, food and medication through a hose and syringe while working to reach him safely.

The Chile Fire Department described the rescue as “highly complex" because the damaged structure remained unstable and crews had to deal with falling debris.

Sebastián Mocorquer of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team said rescues so long after an earthquake were rare.

Also Read: Venezuela’s Quake Toll Nears 2,000 As Morgues Overflow And Anger Mounts

“Only miraculous rescues have been achieved" seven days after an earthquake, he told CNN, noting that the usual “golden window" for finding survivors is about three days.

Rescuers were first alerted on Sunday that someone might still be alive beneath the rubble. Chilean officials said radar sonar and sound detection equipment later confirmed the presence of a survivor.

For three days, rescue specialists from several countries worked to create a safe passage while keeping Gil supplied with essentials.

Video shared by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele showed rescuers speaking with Gil and passing him an orange liquid through a hose.

“Are you hurt?" a rescuer asked. “No, I’m not hurt. I’m just uncomfortable because of the rocks," Gil replied.

Bukele said the rescue operation was complicated by repeated tunnel collapses.

“Rescue teams from several countries have been working together tirelessly to stabilise the tunnel, shoring it up, reinforcing it and isolating it, but it has not been possible to hold it up," he said.

Expressing her happiness over Gil’s rescue, Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said, “Today we celebrate the life of Hernán Gil. Thank you to the national and international rescue workers who gave their bodies, their time, and their souls to this mission."

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Prisha Vibhavari

Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st...Read More

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