Security Guard Rescued Alive After Eight Days Trapped Beneath Earthquake Rubble

CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela — July 2, 2026 — A 43-year-old security guard was rescued alive after spending eight days trapped beneath the ruins of a collapsed building following powerful earthquakes in Venezuela.

Trapped Beneath a Collapsed Building

Hernán Gil was working as a security guard at a seven-story building in Catia La Mar, in Venezuela’s La Guaira state, when twin earthquakes struck on June 24. Part of the building collapsed, trapping Gil inside a small security booth beneath the rubble.

Rescuers eventually located Gil beneath an estimated 140 tons of debris. He was able to communicate with rescue teams, who supplied him with water and oxygen while they worked to reach him.

Three-Day Rescue Operation

An international team of rescuers spent about 72 hours carefully creating a path through the collapsed structure. Teams from Venezuela, Chile, the United States, Portugal, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Mexico took part in the operation.

Rescuers used cameras to communicate with Gil and constructed a narrow tunnel to reach the security booth. They also passed water and oxygen through tubing while monitoring the unstable structure around him.

A Dramatic Rescue

After eight days beneath the rubble, Gil was finally brought out on a stretcher as rescuers applauded and embraced one another. He was then taken by ambulance to a hospital in Caracas for medical evaluation.

Gil’s wife, Gusbimar González, had remained near the collapsed building while the rescue operation continued. When she learned that her husband had been found alive, she described the rescue as a miracle.

Medical examinations found that Gil was conscious and in relatively stable condition after the ordeal. He was placed under observation following the rescue.

An International Rescue Effort

The successful operation came after rescuers worked for days in a dangerous environment where further collapses remained possible. Teams had to remove debris carefully while maintaining a passage to the trapped survivor.

The rescue became one of the notable survival stories following Venezuela’s devastating June earthquakes, which caused widespread destruction along the country’s northern coast.

Sources: CBS News/AFP; DW; AFP; EFE; RTVE