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International rescue teams from Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal and the United States worked more than 100 hours to free Hernán Alberto Gil Flores from a basement parking booth where he had been trapped since the June 24 quakes, according to an Associated Press report. The delicate operation at the Galerías Playa Grande mall involved careful excavation after access ducts collapsed several times, a Chilean firefighter described it as one of the most technically difficult efforts. Gil Flores, who remained conscious and in stable condition, received water and an intravenous drip once rescuers established visual contact via camera overnight.
The twin earthquakes, registering magnitudes of approximately 7.2 and 7.5, devastated coastal areas north of Caracas with the La Guaira region suffering some of the heaviest damage, Reuters reported from the scene. Gil Flores had been on duty in the parking structure adjacent to the shopping center when it collapsed, shielding him inside the booth. Venezuelan authorities coordinated the multinational response as hopes of additional late rescues faded more than a week after the initial shocks.
Government figures updated through early July placed the confirmed death toll above 1,700 with more than 5,000 injured and thousands still missing, according to a Reuters tally. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that more than 2,000 specialists and 140 search dogs from nearly 30 countries joined the effort at the request of Venezuelan officials. This scale of international deployment reflected the widespread destruction across multiple sites where buildings had pancaked.
Costa Rican Red Cross paramedic Allan Madrigal described the moment rescuers heard faint cries as deeply emotional in remarks carried by the BBC. Mexican Red Cross representative Marco Antonio Franco told Milenio that the rescued man stayed cheerful throughout and specifically requested certain hydration drinks once contact was made. The extraction has stood out as a rare success amid a growing focus on recovery and identification of the deceased.
Further reporting from CNN noted that Gil Flores had been buried under nearly 30 feet of concrete and debris for the full eight days. Local and foreign teams continued scanning other collapsed structures in La Guaira and nearby Caraballeda even as aftershocks rattled the zone. Officials have set up temporary camps for the displaced while assessing long-term needs in the affected communities.
The broader search has involved coordination across more than 20 urban search and rescue teams, a snapshot from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicated. Earlier rescues included a 21-year-old man freed after 100 hours and a young child located by Jordanian specialists, according to statements from Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and PBS reporting. Venezuelan civil defense authorities have emphasized that operations will persist as long as any possibility of life remains.
