Francisco Soto and Deomaris Mata recorded what they thought would be a farewell message to their family while they were trapped under the rubble of their building in Venezuela, following the double earthquake that devastated the northern part of the country on June 24th.
However, what seemed like a farewell turned into one of the most striking testimonies of survival from the tragedy: after more than 17 hours trapped, civilians without professional equipment rescued them alive.
The farewell video, shared on Tuesday by Francisco's daughter on social media to thank those who helped them, has become a viral symbol of the tragedy.
In the recording, Deomaris's voice pleads: "Tell them to take care of my son if they get this phone, please."
Francisco, with a trembling voice, bids farewell to his son by name: "My love, I love you. My son, Sebastián. Mommy. Daddy. We love you."
Aún en that moment, Deomaris tried to hold on to the hope of both: “Dad, come on. We are going to live, okay? Don't lose hope, because I count on you.”
The moment the building collapsed
The couple was lying on the sofa bed in their apartment watching television when the earthquake began.
"We had no choice but to embrace each other and let the building collapse," Francisco recounted in an interview with Noticias Caracol.
Everything happened in less than 30 seconds.
Upon regaining consciousness, Francisco found himself face to face with a wall and was practically on top of his wife, as they had both fallen embraced.
He suffered an open fracture in his leg; she was immobilized with a wall trapping her legs and the weight of her husband on top of her.
The video that seemed like a farewell
Approximately four hours after the collapse, without cell service and convinced that they would not survive, they recorded the message for their family.
“We thought we were not going to make it out alive. We recorded the video for that very reason, leaving a message that if someone ever found the phone, it would be our farewell to our family member,” explained Francisco, who noted that he even unlocked the device so that anyone could turn it on.
Throughout the night, they remained dehydrated, in almost total darkness, unaware of the magnitude of what was happening outside.
"The silence was deafening. At that depth, we didn’t understand the magnitude of what was happening," Francisco recalled.
They took turns encouraging each other: when one cried, the other comforted.
“When Francisco was in despair, I found calm. When I cried, he gave me encouragement. I believe that having fallen beside each other gave us great strength and hope that we could get out of there,” Deomaris recounted.
She also described how she clung to her faith: "He had a chain with a Christ, and I held onto it because I couldn't see his face. Francisco was crushing me, and I cried because I couldn't breathe."
The Rescue: Civilians with a Shovel
At dawn on June 25, they began to hear voices from outside and yelled with all their might until they were located.
“They started giving us air, providing water, and removing the debris. They had no tools. The rescue was tough. They risked their lives. They are angels to us. We won't have enough lifetime to thank them,” said Francisco.
Francisco was rescued after being trapped for 17 hours.
The rescue of Deomaris, which was more complex because a rescuer had to crawl among the debris to place a hydraulic jack and lift the wall that was trapping her legs, took an additional four hours.
"My rescue was a bit more difficult; I thought they couldn't get me out of there, but I feel that the strength of our bond, the love we had for each other, was what kept us with that breath and hope of getting out of there together," she said.
"We need to have more empathy. They don't know what people are going through, what our Venezuelan brothers and sisters are still experiencing down there, those who are still buried, those who have lost everything," was Francisco's final message.
The complaint: Neighbors still buried and without official rescue
After being rescued, the couple reported the complete absence of the State in their building.
"In our building, they are still searching for neighbors; people are coming to loot the few material resources that remain from the apartments. There is no sign of rescue, and there are still neighbors buried there. By now, we understand that they may not be alive, but we see no help from anyone," both declared.
Francisco needs a new surgery - he has already undergone 19 previous operations on that leg - and Deomaris was diagnosed with neuropathy due to crush syndrome. The earthquakes on June 24 left 2,295 dead and up to 50,000 missing, according to UN estimates.
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