Venezuelan security guard rescued alive after eight days trapped under quake rubble

A security guard, Hernan Alberto Gil Flores, miraculously survived eight days trapped under rubble after twin earthquakes in Venezuela. Rescuers, including international teams, painstakingly tunneled for over 100 hours, maintaining contact and providing sustenance. His survival, a beacon of hope amidst devastation, saw him emerge to a tearful reunion, offering immense relief to his family and a nation reeling from tragedy.

Rescue crews in Venezuela saved a 44-year-old man, Hernan Alberto Gil, from the rubble of a mall after he was trapped for over a week following twin earthquakes. The death toll has reached 2,295, with 38,600 still unaccounted for.

A remarkable rescue unfolded in Venezuela as a 43-year-old security guard, Hernan Alberto Gil Flores, was pulled alive from a collapsed shopping center basement after eight days. Trapped since June 24, Gil's survival was a testament to his small, intact security cabin and the relentless efforts of international rescue teams who sustained him with food and water. His extraction marked a beacon of hope amidst widespread devastation.

CATIA LA MAR/LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Rescuers dug out a 44-year-old survivor trapped in the ruins of the mall where he worked in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira, more than a week after two strong earthquakes devastated the country's northern coast. Work to save security guard Hernan Alberto Gil from the rubble of the nine-story Galerias Playa Grande shopping center began on Monday, according to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has been posting updates on X about the operation that also involved teams from Chile, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica and Venezuela. Rescuers provided him with hydration via tubing, according to Bukele, but needed to dig two separate tunnels to reach him, because of the instability of the ruins. Gil was carried out of the rubble on a stretcher on Thursday morning and loaded into an ambulance as cheering rescuers and reporters looked on. "I'm grateful to God for keeping him alive for so many days," said Gusbimar Gonzalez, Gil's wife. "He endured it all like a warrior." The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes struck less than a minute apart almost

Search-and-rescue teams have not given up in Venezuela, more than a week after the double earthquakes. On Thursday, a man was pulled out alive after being fed for days through a syringe, the only way to reach him through the rubble. Camilo Montoya-Galvez has the details.

Rescuers dug out a 44-year-old survivor trapped in the ruins of the mall where he worked in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira, more than a week after two strong earthquakes devastated the country's northern coast.

The 44-year-old security guard was pulled alive from a pancaked basement, offering a fleeting moment of hope amid a soaring death toll.

Hernan Alberto Gil Flores emerged to safety covered in dust atop a stretcher surrounded by helmet-clad rescue workers after being trapped since June 24 under rubble in the basement of the Galerias Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal town in La Guaira.

The earthquakes destroyed tens of thousands of buildings across northern Venezuela, killing more than 2,200 people, and leaving La Guaira state as the hardest-hit region in the country.

Rescuers worked around the clock for three days to free security guard Hernan Gil from the rubble of the building where he worked.

Video shows Hernán Alberto Gil Flores carried through cheering crowds after eight days trapped in a collapsed shopping center in La Guaira, Venezuela.

Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was rescued from the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal state of La Guaira after spending more than a week trapped beneath the debris.

Security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores had been trapped in the collapsed basement of a shopping centre in La Guaira since June 24.

Security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores had been trapped in the collapsed basement of a shopping centre in La Guaira since June 24.

Security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores had been trapped in the collapsed basement of a shopping centre in La Guaira since June 24.

Rescuers initially made contact with Hernán Alberto Gil Flores over the weekend and began a days-long operation to pull him from the ruins.

Security guard survives nearly eight days after Venezuela earthquakes

A trapped 44-year-old security guard has been pulled out of rubble almost eight days after two earthquakes struck Venezuela seconds-apart.

A trapped 44-year-old security guard has been pulled out of rubble almost eight days after two earthquakes struck Venezuela seconds-apart.

Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier.

In a video published by the Chilean firefighters in the hours before the rescue, Gil Flores is seen drawing, seemingly to pass the time. Campos then gently tells him to look at the camera and to wear protective goggles.

Hernan Alberto Gil Flores was extracted safely after being trapped since June 24 when twin earthquakes struck Venezuela.

CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) – Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier.

CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) – Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier.

The rescue was considered a small miracle cutting through a week of tragedy.

Security guard Hernan Gil was carried out on a stretcher after a painstaking operation to extract him from a collapsed seven-storey building.

An international rescue team saved a 43-year-old man from a collapsed shopping centre in Venezuela's La Guaira on Thursday, eight days after back-to-back earthquakes devastated the coastal region. Rescuers first made contact with the survivor, Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, at the weekend and were able to pass him water and liquid nutrients through a narrow shaft as they navigated the complex rescue operation.

Venezuelan man pulled alive from collapsed basement eight days after earthquakes  The GuardianVenezuela quake survivor pulled out alive after eight days on  BBCVenezuela earthquake: rescuers try to save man trapped for eight days  The TimesAs Venezuelan morgues fill and the death toll slowly rises, questions remain about how many are truly gone  CNNDonate to Venezuela Earthquake Appeal 2026 | DEC  Disasters Emergency Committee

Security guard Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, 43, initially told rescuers not to tell his wife in case he did not surviveAn international rescue team pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early on Thursday, ending a gruelling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier.Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was extracted safely after being trapped since 24 June under the rubble in the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping centre in the coastal town in La Guaira. Rescuers had initially made contact with him over the weekend. Continue reading...

Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier

Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling days-long operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier

A specialised team from the Costa Rican Red Cross first detected signs of life and established contact with him on Sunday.

CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela (AP) — Rescuers pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday, ending a grueling dayslong operation that became a symbol of hope after the devastation of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela eight days earlier. Hernán Alberto Gil Flores emerged to safety atop a stretcher surrounded by helmet-clad […]