Amidst the crumbling buildings that now define the skyline in La Guaira, Venezuela, rescue teams and families have been searching through debris since Wednesday, when two massive earthquakes struck northern Venezuela. Relatives remain in a desperate race against time, clinging to the hope that their loved ones might be pulled from the wreckage alive.
For some, hope arrived in the form of a faint whisper or the cry of an infant. José Alberto Gallipoli, who traveled 20 miles by foot from Caracas to avoid road blockages, spent his time shouting for his adult son, Jofram, after the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes hit less than a minute apart. These quakes rank among the most powerful to impact Venezuela in over a century. Gallipoli, desperate for any sign of life, descended into the basement of the collapsed seven-story apartment building. He shouted his son’s name with what little faith he had left and eventually heard a faint response. Jofram, his wife, and their 4-year-old son had been trapped for more than 24 hours.
Gallipoli described the scene as devastating, noting the lack of air, food, electricity, and water for his trapped family members. Rescuers worked for hours without proper equipment, guided only by their determination, to clear a pathway to the family. Video footage showed the moment the 4-year-old boy emerged, telling rescuers he felt okay, followed by his parents, who were miraculously unharmed. In the state of La Guaira, thousands of survivors are currently living in tents in open areas as their homes have been destroyed. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has militarized the region to assist with aid, and by Friday afternoon, officials reported 920 deaths, over 3,000 injuries, and more than 70,000 people reported missing.
Another survival story involved Dayana Patiño and her 18-day-old baby, who were trapped beneath the rubble of an eight-story apartment building. Unable to move or breastfeed due to the heavy debris, Patiño held her newborn for hours. Volunteer Merly Adreina Quintero reported that rescuers had already presumed the pair dead after searching for approximately 12 hours. It was not until Thursday morning that the team heard voices and a cry, prompting a rescue effort that lasted until 1 a.m. Friday. After being pulled through a cleared pathway, the baby was handed to his father, and both were taken to a clinic in Caracas. Remarkably, neither the mother nor the newborn suffered any fractures, a turn of events Quintero described as a miracle.
