A South Florida family is eternally grateful after receiving word that their 12-year-old relative in Venezuela has been rescued after going missing following last week’s earthquakes.
The desperate search for survivors through the rubble has gone on for days after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.
On Monday night, family members said Carlos Miguel Colmenares Gutierrez was rescued after being stuck in the rubble for five days.
Cellphone video captured the boy being taken away by crews on a stretcher.
A crowd gathered all around them, applauding, marveled by what they saw.
The boy was later shown being taken away by ambulance to a Caracas hospital.
His second cousin, Mayra Heredia, said he’s in stable condition in the ICU with no serious injuries even though he was trapped for so long.
He was home in his apartment when the earthquakes struck, and a fallen fridge had shielded him from the collapsed roof.
“By Sunday, they pretty much said the building was a loss,” said Heredia. “They presumed everyone dead.”
But Monday, crews heard the boy yelling out his name, and their cameras confirmed he was in there, leading to the rescue.
“It’s a miracle,” said Heredia. “We’re all in shock he’s alive. He survived with no life-threatening injuries — he’s just very dehydrated.”
While the family is grateful for the boy’s rescue, they know that for so many in Venezuela, it’s not the same story.
“It’s still a bittersweet feeling knowing yes, we found him, but there’s thousands of others who might still be alive under there that we haven’t been able to fully locate,” said Heredia.
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