A multinational rescue frees Hernán, trapped eight days under Venezuela's quake rubble

MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Thursday, July 2nd 2026 - 15:32 UTC

Gil, who worked as a guard in the underground parking garage of a shopping mall, survived by sheltering under the desk of his booth when the building collapsed

A 43-year-old Venezuelan security guard, Hernán Gil, was rescued alive on Thursday after eight days trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Catia La Mar, in La Guaira state, during the twin earthquake that struck the country on June 24. The Costa Rican Red Cross, which took part in the operation, confirmed the rescue, considered one of the most complex and prolonged of the disaster, which has left at least 2,295 dead and more than 11,000 injured, according to the official toll.

Gil, who worked as a guard in the underground parking garage of a shopping mall, survived by sheltering under the desk of his booth when the building collapsed. He remained for nearly 200 hours in a cubicle on the second underground level, blocked by rubble and an unstable ceiling. His voice was first heard on Sunday, some 100 hours after the quakes, by a Costa Rican Red Cross rescuer during an inspection of the structure, which set off a race against the clock.