Hernán Gil, the Venezuelan security guard who was rescued alive on July 2 after being buried under the rubble of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in Catia La Mar for eight days, broke his silence and described in an interview with TVV Network the hours of anguish and uncertainty he experienced trapped about nine meters deep.
Gil, 43 years old, was on the night shift at the guard booth of the underground parking lot when the earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on June 24, 2026 collapsed the nine-story building above him, in what is considered the most iconic rescue of the tragedy that shook northern Venezuela.
"Praying a lot, asking God for a lot, and above all thinking about my family, my children, my wife, and there were so many things that went through my mind, but I always kept my calm, I always maintained my composure," Gil told correspondent Neidy Freites.
The man explained that faith was his main support during the more than 100 hours that passed before the rescuers made contact with him: "I had faith, faith, that was what gave me the..." he said, unable to finish the sentence.
From the very first moment, Gil knew what had happened: "From the very beginning, I knew it was an earthquake."
He also revealed that he was not entirely alone in the initial moments: "There was another gentleman with me, but he wasn’t my companion; he was a resident of the facility. He remained further away, while I stayed inside the booth and the gentleman was outside the booth."
The small structure of the shed withstood the collapse and created an air pocket that kept him alive under more than 140 tons of debris.
The Costa Rican rescuer Allan Madrigal, from the Red Cross of Costa Rica, was the one who first heard his voice on Sunday, June 29, with the exchange: "Is there anyone alive?" / "Yes" / "Are you trapped?" / "No, I'm free."
From that moment on, the teams provided him with water through a hose to prevent dehydration while starting an operation that would extend for nearly 72 hours more.
More than 100 specialists from seven countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Venezuela, and the United States—participated in the operation, which is regarded as one of the most complex of the entire emergency.
Gil spared no words of gratitude for those who risked their lives to rescue him: "God put them in my path. They played a large part in all of this. I mean, I wouldn't be here without them. I am very grateful to everyone, to all, to all the rescuers because they all supported me, stayed with me until the very end."
He was taken out on a stretcher at 9:20 a.m. on July 2 and transferred to the Hospital Clínicas Caracas, where doctors diagnosed a left clavicle dislocation, left parietal subgaleal hematoma, small bands of atelectasis, and mild sinusitis.
His wife, Gusbimar González, had been standing in front of the collapsed building since June 25. Hernán had asked the rescuers not to tell him that he was alive, in case they were unable to extract him.
At the end of the interview, Gil sent a direct message to the families still searching for their loved ones among the rubble, with figures estimated by the UN at up to 50,000 missing: "Keep searching, remain hopeful, may you find your family members alive and may you find them safe."
Filed under: