International Rescuers Search for Lives in La Guaira

International rescue teams are actively searching for survivors in La Guaira, Venezuela, three days after consecutive earthquakes struck the nation. Over 50,000 people are reported missing, and rescue efforts are concentrated on collapsed structures where canine brigades are being deployed to detect signs of life.

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During the morning we received a call from the citizenry. We arrived at this point with our technological equipment and were able to establish verbal contact with the affected person. With our equipment, we began to determine how far away he was, calculating approximately 3 meters, and from there we began to advance to reach him.

In a remarkable rescue, the USAR COL-1 unit from Colombia spent over five hours extracting 11-year-old Moisés from the Ritasol Palace residence. Found conscious despite being trapped for three days, Moisés had a fractured arm and reported being with two other individuals whose conditions are unknown due to the lack of life signs. Colombian team leader Carlos Castro highlighted the crucial role of their technology in establishing verbal contact with the boy, estimating his location at approximately 3 meters beneath the debris.

Spain and Brazil have also deployed specialized units. The Community of Madrid Immediate Response Team (ERICAM), comprising 40 specialists including firefighters, medical personnel, and canine handlers, reported rescuing an elderly woman and two children. However, they faced significant delays reaching La Guaira due to collapsed main roads. José Luis Bordel, an officer with Madrid's fire department, noted that despite landing in Venezuela on Friday morning, they did not reach the disaster zone until late afternoon, attributing the delay to the sheer volume of people hindering access for rescue teams.

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I am not the one to decide what each person should do. The reality is that yesterday we landed at 6:15 in the morning and arrived in Caracas at 5:00 in the afternoon for a 100 km displacement. We couldn't go any faster because the roads were collapsed. There were so many people that made it difficult for the rescue teams to arrive sooner. If we had been able to arrive earlier, we would have started working yesterday.

Bordel also explained the protocol for the search dogs, which are trained to detect live individuals through scent and sound. Areas are cleared of volunteers to minimize noise and olfactory interference before the dogs begin their search. The Spanish team arrived in Venezuela with 40 personnel, emphasizing the urgency and complexity of the operations amidst widespread devastation.

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The dogs are trained to search for live people following a particular scent and noise trail. When the dogs are about to enter, we clear the area and ask the volunteers to step back to eliminate noise and olfactory trails. Once cleared, the dog...