International Teams Race to Save Guard Trapped 7 Days

After seven days trapped under a collapsed building, a Venezuelan security guard is talking with rescuers and getting closer to freedom thanks to an international rescue effort that refuses to give up.

Hernán Gil Flores, 44, has been stuck in his security booth beneath a 10-story building in La Guaira, Venezuela since devastating earthquakes struck on June 24. Teams from Chile, the United States, and El Salvador have been working around the clock to reach him safely.

The good news? Gil Flores isn't injured and has been able to communicate with his rescuers. His wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, says teams have made contact and are keeping him hydrated and fed through carefully dug tunnels.

Bomberos de Chile, the organization leading the rescue, has shared video updates showing the painstaking work happening beneath the unstable structure. "Hernán is currently being kept hydrated and fed by the rescue teams, who have redoubled their efforts to bring him out alive as soon as possible," they posted on social media this week.

The rescue is incredibly delicate. Multiple damaged buildings are leaning against the structure where Gil Flores is trapped, making every movement risky. When one tunnel collapsed, crews immediately started digging a new one from a different angle.

Manny Sampang, a task force leader from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, acknowledged the difficulty. "It is a very complex rescue," he told reporters. "I have multiple buildings leaning into that building that we are trying to rescue him from."

Why This Inspires

This rescue shows what's possible when countries come together for a common cause. Firefighters and rescue specialists who trained for these exact scenarios have traveled thousands of miles to help save one man's life. They're working in dangerous conditions, knowing that every hour matters, but also that rushing could cause the building to collapse further.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has been sharing updates with the world, keeping attention focused on the rescue effort. After 58 hours, when the first tunnel collapsed, teams didn't hesitate to start over with a new approach.

For Gil Flores, help arrived from across borders and hasn't stopped since.