A six-year-old dog named Buddy was rescued alive on Thursday in Caraballeda, a coastal city in the state of La Guaira, Venezuela, after spending eight days trapped under the rubble of its collapsed home.
The moment was captured by the AP agency and became one of the most heartfelt moments of hope amidst the devastation left by the earthquakes of June 24.
Its owner, Gabriela Alves, had been searching for it tirelessly since the double earthquake measuring 7.2 and 7.5 shook the north of the country just 39 seconds apart, destroying hundreds of buildings and leaving thousands of families homeless.
In the rescue video, a voice can be heard shouting through tears: "Here he is, here he is, Budi, Budi, we're here, we're here, here we are, eight days later, eight days later, here is Budi, calm down, Budi, calm down, Budi, it's okay, we're here, eight days later, let's go to Budi, Budi is here, amazing."
The rescue of Buddy wasn't the only moment that moved Venezuela that same day. Also on Thursday, Hernán Gil, a 43-year-old security guard, was pulled out alive after eight days beneath 140 tons of rubble in Catia La Mar, in an operation lasting over 100 hours that involved more than 100 rescuers from ten countries.
The double earthquake on June 24 is considered the strongest recorded in Venezuela since 1900, according to the United States Geological Survey, which issued a Red Alert. The state of La Guaira was declared a disaster zone, with over 100 buildings collapsed, and Caraballeda among the hardest-hit areas.
The official toll as of Thursday, according to acting president Delcy Rodríguez, amounted to 2,595 dead, 12,400 injured, and 6,462 people rescued alive. The UN had reported in the early days figures of up to 50,000 missing, a magnitude that reflects the scale of the disaster.
The international response was massive: 3,000 rescuers from 33 countries were deployed to the disaster area, accompanied by 137 trained search dogs.
Among the teams present were brigades from El Salvador, which also played a significant role in another emotional rescue days earlier, retrieving the dog Chanel along with her teenage owner from the Bahía Mar building in Caraballeda.
The week following the earthquake saw a series of rescues that captured global attention: three siblings in the Charaima Mansion, an 18-day-old baby with her mother, the young Carlos Miguel Colmenares after five days in Macuto, and the Venezuelan Belkys Barreto after 86 hours trapped under the rubble of the Breogán building. In this relentless search context, the case of Buddy concluded the week as a symbol of resilience.
Residents of La Guaira, however, reported delays in the arrival of government aid. "We need help beyond Tanaguarena, Quebrada Seca, Osma, Oritapo, Todasana. That community itself wasn’t affected, but people are desperately asking for assistance because there is no food," stated merchant Joel Sojo Sánchez to EFE.
While the rescue efforts continue, a child has been trapped under the rubble for nine days in Venezuela, and international teams hold on to the hope of finding more survivors.
Filed under: