Venezuela earthquake survivor rescued after eight days under rubble

Hernán Gil, a building security guard, was dramatically rescued on Thursday morning after spending eight harrowing days trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela's La Guaira state. The successful rescue operation, which spanned nearly 72 hours, concluded with cheers and embraces from firefighters and journalists gathered outside the severely damaged structure.

Gil, who was trapped in the basement security booth of the building where he worked, survived the catastrophic magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck on June 24, 2026. The rescue efforts officially commenced on Monday, involving approximately 100 rescuers from various countries, including Chile, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. These teams maintained constant communication with Gil, providing him with hydration and medication throughout the ordeal.

International rescue teams first made contact with Gil on Sunday, June 28. A spokesperson for the Costa Rican Red Cross, which was involved in the operation, described Gil's survival situation: he was located in an underground passage within a security booth, with an estimated 140 tons of debris pressing down on it. The strategy had to be re-evaluated to find a new access point.

According to volunteers from the Venezuelan Red Cross, the security booth acted as a protective shield, enabling Gil to survive. His wife, Gusbimar González, had been present at the site of the collapsed building since the day after the earthquakes. Official figures from the UN indicate that between 2,500 and 3,000 foreign rescuers have arrived in Venezuela following the earthquakes. Gil's rescue marks the 13th live rescue by these international teams since their operations began a week prior. The Venezuelan government's latest report states that at least 2,295 people have died and 11,267 have been injured in the disaster.