"Every step had to be very careful": Chilean firefighter recounts La Guaira rescue

A Chilean firefighter described the emotional and technically demanding rescue of Hernán Gil, a 43-year-old man found alive after being trapped for eight days beneath collapsed building debris in La Guaira, Venezuela.

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The truth is that it is a very great emotion to have brought Hernán out alive after many, many hours of work, after he had been trapped for eight days. For us, it is a reason for pride.

Felipe Yáñez, a member of the USAR team from Chile's Fire Department, shared the immense pride and relief of the international rescue effort. Gil survived the double earthquake by being protected under a desk in an underground parking garage. The location, however, presented significant structural challenges.

Yáñez explained that the compromised structure, with tons of debris from an adjacent collapsed building, posed a severe risk of secondary collapse. "Every step we took, every small structural movement we made, had to be very careful to avoid an accident," he said. The rescue team had to work with extreme caution.

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The structure was very compromised. There were many tons of debris on this parking lot that had a building that collapsed on the side and fell on this parking lot at -3. Therefore, there was a high risk of a secondary collapse and we had to take that into consideration.

Gil's survival was aided by early medical intervention, receiving hydration through small probes after four days, a critical measure given the narrow window for survival. "It was absolutely important to provide hydration promptly," Yáñez noted. A "vital space" created by the debris and the cushioning effect of an upper slab also contributed to his survival in the confined area.

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Every step we took, every small structural movement we made, had to be very careful to avoid an accident.

The operation involved international rescuers from Mexico, Portugal, El Salvador, and the United States, coordinated by the UN office INSARAG. The Chilean team played a leading role in this complex mission.

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It was absolutely important to provide hydration promptly. He only received some hydration after practically four days, so we were in the critical window of how long he could last.