Rescuers pulled Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, a 43-year-old security guard, alive from a collapsed basement early Thursday. He had been trapped for eight days.
The operation ended a grueling effort that became a symbol of hope following twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
Gil Flores emerged covered in dust, surrounded by helmeted rescue workers. He was trapped in the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in La Guaira. Crews made initial contact over the weekend and worked more than 100 hours to free him, navigating unstable rubble, torrential rain, and persistent aftershocks.
When rescuers finally carried him to an ambulance, international teams cheered. His small security cabin shielded him from crushing debris when the first violent tremor hit, creating a vital air pocket.
A Costa Rican Red Cross team first detected signs of life on Sunday. Rescuer Minyar Collado stated Gil Flores initially asked them not to tell his wife he was alive, fearing he might not survive.
Rescuers supplied him with water and liquid nutrients through a narrow shaft, keeping him alive far beyond standard survival thresholds.
The back-to-back earthquakes registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively. The shallow tremors killed more than 2,200 people and injured over 11,000 across northern Venezuela.