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The captain of the Venezuelan volleyball team, Willner Rivas Quijada, 31 years old, was found dead alongside his wife, Mariángel Pérez, and their son Theo, just a year and a half old, eleven days after being trapped under the rubble during the devastating earthquakes that struck the Venezuelan state of La Guaira on June 24.
The news was confirmed this Sunday by the Club Voleibol Guaguas, the reigning champion of the Spanish Super League, with which the player had recently signed to compete in the 2026-2027 season.
“It has been confirmed that Willner Rivas, his wife Mariángel Pérez, and their young son Theo have been found deceased after being buried for eleven days by the earthquake that struck Venezuela. From CV Guaguas, we join in the mourning of their family. Rest in peace,” the club stated in a message shared on their social media.
The Venezuelan Volleyball Federation also confirmed the passing of the family and paid tribute to the former captain of the national team.
The bodies were recovered among the debris of the building where they had remained since the collapse caused by the double earthquake that devastated part of La Guaira.
The confirmation of the discovery brings an end to eleven days of intense searching that mobilized family members, teammates, sports officials, and thousands of people who followed the case on social media.
The last known information about Rivas was that he was at his home on the afternoon of June 24, when two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.5 and 7.2, recorded just 39 seconds apart, caused the collapse of dozens of buildings in the region.
The volleyball player had just become one of the main signings for Guaguas for the upcoming season, where he was expected to strengthen the Spanish team following the departure of the Cuban Osmany Juantorena.
The tragedy of the Rivas family adds to the plight of other sports figures who lost their lives during the disaster.
Among them are four football players, including the young Yimvert Berroterán, 18 years old and a member of Caracas FC, as well as basketball player Gilberto Hernández, who passed away alongside his wife.
This Sunday, the bodies of Patricia Salazar and Eliana Alfonzo, wife and daughter of former Venezuelan Major League Baseball player Eliézer Alfonzo, were also recovered, found among the rubble of the Hotel Eduard's in Macuto after eleven days of searching.
The double earthquake on June 24 has resulted in, according to the latest official report, 3,342 fatalities and 16,740 injuries, in addition to thousands of displaced individuals and extensive material damage.
The United Nations estimates that around 50,000 people remain missing, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) considers it likely that the final victim count will increase significantly, in what already constitutes the most devastating natural disaster recorded in Venezuela in over a century.
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